Stitch Fix #3, April 2015

This was my third Stitch Fix box and the deciding factor for continuing the service. In the last two boxes I had issues with everything being too large for me. I liked a lot of the items, but I can't buy it if it doesn't fit. When I opened this box the first thing I noticed was blue, my favorite color! Also I was happy to see that I kept the same stylist from my previous fixes.

Pixley Edmond Chevron Henley Shirt $54 = Kept
When I first saw it I noticed the spring pastel colors, which was a good sign. I liked the chevron design on the shirt and when I tried it on I thought that it fit well. It's a little on the loose side, but it wasn't too baggy. After I put this shirt on, I had to keep it.

41Hawtorn Filbert Abstract Striped Henley Blouse $58 = Return
I like the idea of this shirt, but it didn't work for me. I'm not a fan of the extra long length since it doesn't work very well for my petite size. My husband thought that it looked like scrubs which is definitely not a good sign.

41Hawthorn Jace Dot Print Fit & Flare Dress $48 = Kept
I love this dress! After the last fix I though that a Stitch Fix dress would never be close to fitting me. This black dress with blue polka-dots worked very well. This dress is a nice versatile dress to dress up or down at a very nice price. I really don't wear dresses very often, but after talking to my husband I decided to keep it on the condition of getting rid of another dress in my closet.

Pink Martini Atlantis Lace Top $54 = Return
I'm not a big fan of see-though lace clothing. It's a bit weird since you have to wear an undershirt with it. I already have a plum lace top similar to this one that I rarely wear. This top did not give me any shape and was way too plain for the price.

Octavia Henry Birds on Branch Infinity Scarf $28 = Return
I loved this mint scarf and the bird design, but it was way too bulky to be a spring scarf. The price on it was great and if nothing else had worked in the box I would have kept it.

This was the best box by far! I was so excited when I first tried everything on I considered keeping all five items. Then I thought about it again, tried them on again, and realized that most items did not fit or work for me. Overall, I kept two items from this box and I am very happy with Stitch Fix!

150th Anniversary of the Sinking of Steamboat Bertrand

Canadian geese at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

Near Missouri Valley, Iowa on the boarder of Nebraska and Iowa is a Fish and Wildlife Service site called the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge's main purpose is to serve as a stopover for migrating ducks and geese during fall and spring migrations between the Arctic nesting grounds and Gulf Coast wintering areas. Typically 500,000 snow geese and 75,000 ducks migrate through each year.
  
You wouldn't think that a wildlife refuge had anything to do with archaeology and in most cases you would be right, but not this time. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is located along an oxbow of the Missouri River. The Missouri River has over 200 known steamboat wrecks and one happens to be on the refuge.

Bertrand excavation in progress

This steamboat named the Bertrand was heading toward a mining town in Montana, but on April 1, 1865 it hit a snag. The boat was brought toward shore and the passengers were evacuated before it sank. For the 150th commemoration of this event, one of the conservators of the artifacts found on board the Bertrand, Ronald Switzer, gave a talk about his research on the artifacts, the history of the boat and passengers on board.

For many years, treasure hunters looked for this shipwreck thinking that there would be gold, mercury (used in the mining process), and whiskey casks. After many attempts to locate the ship it was finally found in 1968, over one hundred years after it first sank. Since it was located on government property these salvagers had to comply with the Antiquities Act of 1906. So they wrote up a contract where they would be allowed to keep the mercury, gold and whiskey casks found on the wreck and all artifacts would belong to the Fish and Wildlife Service for permanent protection.

Unfortunately, in the late 1960's very little had been done in the field of freshwater artifact conservation. The practices used for saltwater conservation are not effective for items submerged in freshwater, therefore many experimental techniques were used on objects to preserve the various materials found on the Bertrand. Luckily the majority of the items were preserved in near pristine condition due to innovative conservation techniques and the anaerobic conditions of the river mud.

Location of excavation site

After two summer of excavating over 250,000 artifacts were discovered. This makes it the largest intact collection of Civil War era artifacts. These artifacts included clothing, household items, tools, canned food, and ammunition. The textile artifacts are of special interest since the techniques used to preserve them left them in near pristine contention. Costume designers, quilters and other people interested in Civil War period fabrics and stitching techniques examine these artifacts for authenticity. While these items are priceless, the salvagers did not find their treasure. They left with only 9 containers worth of mercury since no whiskey casks and only ornamental gold was found in the wreck.

Bertrand exhibit at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

The current visitor center was built in 1981 and these wonderful objects were put on public display. The items are located in a glass storage room which allows visitors to see not only the items on display, but also how the rest of the collection is stored.

If you are ever in the area, I recommend visiting the refuge to see this mixture of history and nature.

Stitch Fix Review #2, February 2015

My second Stitch Fix box! When I opened this box the first thing I noticed was that this box had more color than the last box which is what I asked for. Sadly, my stylist was not able to find some of the items I was looking for (mentioned in the note below).

Style Card

Stylist Note

I was excited to see that I kept the same stylist from my last fix. I've seen a lot of reviews where people keep moving from one stylist to the next. I linked my new Pintrest board to my style profile, hoping that she would see a bit more of my style. She noticed my love of lace and picked out a dress that was exactly my style. On the other hand, I don't want my stylist picking exactly what I'd would get on my own. She did a good job at picking things I wouldn't normally try on (the heart top and sweater).


Skies are Blue Lisa Lace Trim Knit Top $68 = Return
I like the details on the shirt and thought that it fit fairly well (a bit wide). The main problem with this top is that the lace detail starts way too soon along the bottom. If I didn't have a camisole underneath the top, you would be able to see my belly since the lace starts higher than my jeans.That just seems like a weird design that is not flattering.

Octavia Brad Multi-colored Knit Scarf $34 = Return
I love the colors of this scarf. Unfortunately the knit was really loose and there was a snag when I got it. With two cats in the house, this could easily become torn up and not usable in a short period of time. It is also a very long length for me. I already have similar scarves and I do not wear them regularly, so it didn't seem practical to get it.

Pixley Colibri Heart Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse $48 = Return
This blouse just was not designed for me. The heart pattern seems to overwhelm me. Also the length is too long and there is a weird pleating under the buttons that doesn't help either. Also the tab sleeves did not stay up very well since it was a slick material. The shoulders were a bit tight as well, but not too much of an issue. This is my least favorite item from Stitch Fix.

Pink Martini Opal V-Neck Sweater $48 = Return
This one was my favorite of this box. I'm usually not a fan of high-low finishes or different patterns in the front and back, but for this this sweater I was willing to overlook those biases. The pattern on the back actually looked nicer than the front. The problem this this sweater was that it was so wide. My husband called it a potato sack because it was so big and shapeless.

Brixon Ivy Kinsey Seamed V-Neck Dress $88 = Return
I love this dress! Unfortunately it was way too large. The cut, color, pleating and hidden pockets were absolutely perfect. If this dress came in number sizes a 0 may have worked, but it was an XS and way too big on me. We measured an extra 2.25 inches of extra fabric at the waist. There is the option of getting it tailored, but that is a lot of money to spend on a dress that I probably wouldn't wear very often.

Invoice

My husband and I discussed whether or not to get another fix since the items have been too large. We decided to give it one more go since they recently add petite sizes. They may be available for the spring clothing. If I can't find anything to fit besides outerwear, I'll be going on a Stitch Fix hiatus.

Overall, I liked a few items from this box, but nothing worked for me and I didn't get anything this fix. My first box was more successful, but I will try again (probably mid-April) to see if Stitch Fix sizes can work for me.

X-Rays Reveal Writing on Ancient Scrolls from Mt. Vesuvius Eruption

Photo courtesy University of Kentucky

Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD destroying the wealthy Roman resort town of Herculaneum along with the better known Pompeii. Beginning in 1738 Charles of Bourbon (Charles III of Spain) sent archaeological teams to Pompeii and Herculaneum to dig up artifacts after Roman items were discovered by well diggers and treasure hunters. In 1752, the team discovered their first scroll and in 1754 they had discovered an entire library of scrolls inside the ancient villa. They uncovered roughly 800 charred scrolls from the library now called "Villa de Papyri" under more than 50 feet (15 meters) of ash. 

As soon as the scrolls were discovered people wanted to know what was written on them. Over the centuries, various techniques were devised to unroll the scrolls, but they usually ended up destroying the brittle papyrus. Historians have tried many methods for reading the damaged scrolls. "They poured mercury on them, they soaked them in rosewater — all kinds of crazy stuff," said Jennifer Sheridan Moss, a papyrologist at Wayne State University in Detroit. Even the most careful unrolling can lead to their destruction. A clever unrolling machine designed by a monk in the 1700s, was fairly successful, but most wound up damaging the fragile documents.

Of the 1,814 scrolls unearthed, around 300 have been deciphered. From those scrolls historians determined that the library was filled mainly with writings on Epicurean philosophy with a large collection of works from a prolific writer named Philodemus.

Photo courtesy Salvatore Laporta/AP

Conventional x-rays of the rolled-up Herculaneum scrolls don't reveal anything because the Herculaneum scrolls presented a unique challenge: papyrus was burnt and the text was written with black, carbon-based ink. Common X-ray techniques could not detect the pattern variations between the ink and the papyrus, so researchers tried an x-ray technique which reads the text through the rolled-up papyrus by discerning charcoal ink from charred papyrus. 

 This new approach, called X-ray phase-contrast tomography (XPCT), builds a higher-definition image by detecting the slight relief between the letters and the papyrus. The letters rise just one hundred microns above the papyrus, but that’s enough to build a clearer picture than any other technique. Similar to a medical CT scan, the new process produced a three-dimensional view of the folded, compressed interior of the charred scroll. Unlike regular x-rays, the method can distinguish the charcoal ink from the surface of the charred papyrus.

The scrolls’ small sizes and numerous folds make it difficult to focus on every letter or gauge the letter’s orientation. But what’s important is that researchers proved that you could peek inside these ancient scrolls without destroying them.

Image by Vito Mocella/ Nature Communications

Studying the interior surface of the scroll, the researchers demonstrated they were able to read letters, a few microns thick, written on the papyrus long ago. A first effort deciphered 24 letters used in ancient Greek, the language of philosophy in the Roman world.

 

It is going to be a while before the scrolls are completely interpreted. However, researchers’ new technique is an encouraging start. Using XPCT, researchers examined two scrolls and could clearly see letters that formed short phrases such as “would fall” or “to deny,” but not much more. Daniel Delattre of the Institute for the Research and History of Texts in Paris examined the handwriting of the few letters and words that the team was able to recover. He compared the handwriting to that in other Herculaneum scrolls, and found a match with a scribe writing in the first century bc. Given that scribe’s activity in other scrolls, the new text is likely to be a copy of writing by the philosopher and poet Philodemus.

 

Villa de Papyri

Long ago archaeologists gave up on opening the texts to spare the culturally important artifacts, but this imaging technique allows researchers to see what’s written inside, without ever opening the delicate artifacts. The researchers hope that the method leads to a non-destructive way to investigate more of Herculaneum's charred papyri, which in turn will reopen consideration of more excavations at the Villa de Papyri. 

Scholars have long pondered the possibility of another library buried deeper beneath its ruins because most Roman libraries held the Greek treatises in one section and Latin books in another. If they do find the hidden library, this new technique could become very useful.

What is Archaeology?

Archaeology is the study of human cultures through material remains. Archeologists have different interests and focus on studying different locations and times, ranging from earliest human ancestors in Africa to present-day. Listed below are the main categories of archaeological study

• Prehistoric archaeology focuses on past cultures that did not have written language. Therefore, most prehistoric archeology relies primarily on survey and excavation, or data recovery, to explore the past.
• Historical archaeology studies cultures that existed during the period of recorded history--several thousands of years in parts of the world, but only several hundred years in others. Within historical archaeology there are many geographically specific fields of study that include classical archaeology, Egyptology, and biblical archaeology.
• Underwater archaeology studies physical remains of human activity that lie beneath the surface of oceans, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. It includes the study of shipwrecks, cities and harbors that are now submerged.
• Ethnoarchaeology is the study of living cultures resembling extinct ones for archaeological purposes. It usually involves the study of surviving hunter-gatherers, pastoralists and nomads to attempt to  explain objects and findings from archaeological sites.

Some of the other specialties within archaeology include , urban archaeology, experimental archaeology, cultural resource management (CRM), and bioarchaeology.

What is Anthropology?

Anthropology comes from the Greek words anthropos meaning human and logia meaning study. Therefore, anthropology literally means the study of humans. Anthropologists seek to understand humans from the earliest hominids millions of years ago to people living today using many different methods. Anthropology draws on knowledge from many areas including social science, biological science, humanities and physical science. There are many areas anthropologist study including...

• Cultural Anthropology - Seeks to understand the internal logic of societies through ethnography
• Linguistic Anthropology - Seeks to explain the very nature of language and its use by humans
• Archaeology - Retrieves artifacts from the past and places them in context to understand our history and its relevance for today
• Physical Anthropology - Traces our biological origins, evolutionary development, and genetic diversity
• Forensic Anthropology - Seeks to identify skeletal, or otherwise decomposed, human remains
• Medical Anthropology - Seeks to better understand factors that influence peoples' health and well being
• Environmental Anthropology - examines the relationships between humans and their environment across space and time

Stitch Fix Review #1, January 2015

My First Fix

I'm sure my husband was sick of me looking at blogs and watching vlogs about Stitch Fix over the last two weeks while I was waiting for my first fix. I heard about Stitch Fix from one of my high school friends on Facebook and decided to check it out. I looked at the website and it seemed like a great idea. You let someone pick out five items for you to try based on a short style survey and a few weeks later a box shows up at your door. If you are interested in learning more about Stitch Fix check out my post: What is Stitch Fix?

The first thing that I love about Stitch Fix is the personalized stylist cards. My stylist, Lori definitely payed attention to my note where I asked for an earth tone bag and nice work clothes, especially pants with usable pockets (because those are extremely difficult to find). This note told me a little about what I'd be getting, and how to style it. Let's see what I got.

opened the box and the items are packaged really nicely and neatly. Enclosed is a note from the stylist explaining why she chose some of the items for me AND I really liked that there was a “style card” for each item to show different ways you can style the pieces – give you some inspiration. Also enclosed is a price sheet that shows how much each item retails for and even what the total cost of the entire fix would be if you kept every item. There is a 25% discount if you buy all the items in the f - See more at: http://www.stillbeingmolly.com/2014/03/27/stitchfix-review/#sthash.KICywLnr.dpuf

Urban Expressions Miah Zipper Detail Hobo Bag, $68 = Return

While I loved the bag, it was just too large for me. The color and details were perfect as well as the fact that you could wear it normally or cross body. I had stated in my note for my stylist that I wanted a large purse, but I don't want a purse that is as large as my torso! Sadly this bag got sent back.

Just Black Adorra Ankle Length Skinny Jeans, $88=Return

 These jeans were great! The length, cut and color were perfect, the only problem was that the waist was too loose. It is a mid-rise jean which means that it could work with the large waist, but for the price I want a perfect jean. I asked my stylist to find me a pair of pants that would be great for work and these jeans would be great since they are a black/dark grey wash.

Renee C Gillie Split Neck Blouse, $54=Return

 I love the idea of this black polka dot blouse, but it just didn't work for me. The torso was too wide, the shoulders too tight when I took it off it required some maneuvering. This is probably not a problem for most people, but I do have broad shoulder for my frame (which I mentioned in the style profile). My husband thought that the style of the shirt was too old looking for me. I didn't see any problem with the style of the blouse, I think would have loved it if it was better fitted.

Market & Spruce Aleath Heathered V-Neck Dolman Top, $48=Return

Thanks to Stitch Fix I have learned that I do not like dolman tops. While looking up Stitch Fix reviews I saw a lot of people were getting dolman tops and they looked a little weird to me. This concerned me because while I don't mind some bagginess, I do not want baggy arms. I like the tight waist band, but the sleeves are not my style at all. Besides the dolman style this was a very basic top and the only interesting part was the cut which is disliked, so it was returned.

 

Carmela Benfield Heathered Drape Front Cardigan, $58=Keep

This cardigan was right up my alley. I wasn't sure about the heathered detail, but the arms and shoulders fit perfectly. I also did not have a basic navy cardigan, so I will probably be wearing this a lot. This was a keeper!

I think Lori did very well with picking out items that I would like to wear for a first fix. I may end up having a problem with sizing since I am on the small end of the sizes available. The jeans I was sent were size 0 and the waist was too large and the tops were size XS and they were too wide. Hopefully that just has to do with the style of the clothing I was sent, but we will see in the future. If nothing else, I can get cardigans, jackets, scarves and bags.

To the left is my invoice for my first fix. As you can see the prices are a little high even though I marked the lowest price category for most of the items. My cardigan cost me $58, but with the $20 from the styling fee it only cost $38 which seems like an average price for a cardigan. If I were to keep all five items the discount would help lower the prices to a more manageable price. As you can see the regular price for all five would be $316, but with the discount it and styling fee it is only $222. But I don't think my husband would appreciate me spending $200 a month on five items of clothing, so unless I get an amazing box, I will probably stick to keeping 1-3 items.

My goal for this box was to get one or two items. I ended up getting one and would have gladly gotten the jeans if they were slightly less pricey since they didn't fit perfectly.

Overall I was very happy with the service and I have scheduled a second fix for the end of February. I also have a few friends that will be trying out Stitch Fix in the next few weeks, so I am looking forward to seeing what they get as well.

Here's a picture of how I styled the cardigan for work. If you'd like to check it out, please use my referral code which allows me to have extra credit for more items in the future.

opened the box and the items are packaged really nicely and neatly. Enclosed is a note from the stylist explaining why she chose some of the items for me AND I really liked that there was a “style card” for each item to show different ways you can style the pieces – give you some inspiration. Also enclosed is a price sheet that shows how much each item retails for and even what the total cost of the entire fix would be if you kept every item. There is a 25% discount if you buy all the items in the fix. - See more at: http://www.stillbeingmolly.com/2014/03/27/stitchfix-review/#sthash.KICywLnr.dpuf

opened the box and the items are packaged really nicely and neatly. Enclosed is a note from the stylist explaining why she chose some of the items for me AND I really liked that there was a “style card” for each item to show different ways you can style the pieces – give you some inspiration. Also enclosed is a price sheet that shows how much each item retails for and even what the total cost of the entire fix would be if you kept every item. There is a 25% discount if you buy all the items in the fix. - See more at: http://www.stillbeingmolly.com/2014/03/27/stitchfix-review/#sthash.KICywLnr.dpuf