Today, let’s take a look at the Fall 2020 FabFitFun box. This one shipped out unexpectedly early for me, which was a nice surprise. Here’s what was inside.

This time around, I decided to get a few Add On items – more on that later. They were included in the same shipment, but not in the FFF box itself; rather, the FFF box was placed inside a larger box with the Add Ons. Extra cardboard aside, it seems like FFF is making an effort to be more environmentally conscious. Instead of packing popcorn or plastic, they used paper to pad out the boxes. The FFF box itself, along with the magazine (which I don’t read), appear to be made from a different material than before which I expect would be recycled cardboard/paper (probably should have read the magazine, lol!).

Here were the customizations that I selected:

My choices in this tier were an infinity scarf, a hair removal device, a pore refining serum, and this scarfigan. I chose the latter because I didn’t see myself using any of the other options. I think this is a very “safe” item, if that makes sense: it’s a pale blush and cream, very neutral, very tasteful. I can see it being appealing to a lot of people; I like it as well, although I’m not sure if I’m going to end up keeping it or gifting it come Christmas. It’s made from acrylic, not wool so not as nice as other Soia & Kyo pieces I’ve seen, but it has a nice feel and weight to it.
Retail value: $85.

This was a “meh” tier for me; the options were one of 2 Botkier bags (both faux leather), a curling wand, an eyeliner, a set of copper canisters, a styling cream, or this collapsible basket. Again, I didn’t see myself using any of the other options so I chose this by default. I haven’t quite decided what to do with it, but it’s the sort of item I can see using for various purposes. It could be a fancy wastepaper basket for my office; or a “coozy” for a potted plant; or simply a basket to hold some of my craft supplies. It’s a minimalist, simple design so it would like nice anywhere in the house.
Retail value: $60 (LOL, def not)

What I found weird about this tier was the wide range of items. Like, a bag or an eyeliner? Usually, options are more evenly matched in terms of price in each tier. I know they gave a retail value of $45 of the eyeliner, but still.
Moving on.

This was an item I was very excited to get. The other options were a pendant necklace from the same brand (Jenny Bird), a mask set, blue-light blocking glasses, or an eyeshadow palette. This was a no-brainer choice for me, and I like the bracelet IRL a lot. It’s not super high quality, but it’s similar to what you’d get from Banana Republic or Stella & Dot; I actually like that it’s not too heavy because I don’t like my wrists to feel weighed down. The metal mixing is perfect – I can layer a bunch of my other bracelets in both silver and gold, and it all works.
Retail value: $135

This was my other top pick for the box. Other options in this tier were a water bottle, a cleansing cream, a facial cleanser, and a body scrub. I have wanted to try Anastasia eyebrow products before, but they’re the kind of thing I don’t normally splurge on. Honestly, having tried it, I’m not sure if it does much but I feel fancy putting it on – and my eyebrows are one part of my make-up routine that I never skip.
Retail value: $22.

I chose this hair oil right before my daughter decided to cut off 18 inches of hair. Sigh. This would have been more useful before – because her long hair required a lot of extra moisturizing – but I guess I’ll be using it now more for scalp massages maybe. Anyway, the other options weren’t better: a cutlery set; cuticle oil; 3 pack of hair clips; and some sugar scrub cubes I received in a previous box and didn’t end up loving.
Retail value: $75 (fancy!)

And here is what FFF picked for me (the last 3 items in the box cannot be customized, and you get whatever they send you from a selection of items).

I have no idea what this is or whether I will use it. The other options weren’t much more enticing: a shower gel, or a faux leather pouch.
Retail value: $19.50

So I would like to think I will use this pedicure set, but on the other hand, I’m lazy and this looks like it involves several steps. Maybe I will gift it. One of the other options was a Laundress Crease release product, which I think would have been more useful. Oh well.
Retail value: $20

Again, not a product I will have as much use for now that my daughter has shorter hair. For my hair, I don’t bother with masks and special treatments, especially as my hair is not chemically treated in any way. I would have preferred one of the other options, a room spray in “Santal Noir” – I love sandalwood smells.
Retail value: $16.

Overall, the FFF picks were a bust for me in this box. It’s one of my least favourite parts of the subscription. Sometimes they send me things I would have picked for myself, but just as often not. I enjoy the surprise element, but I have reached the point where I would rather be able to customize the entire box (all 8 products).

Moving on, let’s talk about my Add Ons.

In the past, I haven’t purchased a lot of Add-Ons because I try to limit how much extra I spend on FFF as the subscription itself is pricey enough. This time, I had to make an exception because the Add On sale had a number of Sunday Riley products on significant discount. I have wanted to try their products for a long time, but they are very expensive and I tend to stick to cheap alternatives like The Ordinary. Well, this was my time to cave. I got the Juno Oil and the CEO vitamin C serum, which together came to under $70CAD. Regularly, these products would be $200CAD. Umm, I hope I don’t like them too much? I’ll keep you posted on that.

Overall, I am fairly satisfied with this box between the items I am going to keep for myself and the stuff I am likely to gift to family and friends. If you got the Fall 2020 box, what did you think of it?

Grandma’s Couch, v. 2

Some people may question my love for “old fashioned” florals, but I give them Exhibit A for Why Grandma’s Couch is Bomb. I passed on this crop top the first time I spotted it at Value Village, but I quickly realized the error of my way, and went back for it; luckily, this was one of those exceptional situations where the piece was still there a week later. I couldn’t be happier. The crop top may not seem like a super practical piece, but I have so many styling ideas for it. Starting with this outfit. I love the juxtaposition of traditional floral print and (faux) leather. Sugar and spice, if you will.

Swishy

To be honest with you, I have no idea if this Eileen Fisher tunic is supposed to be a top or a dress. Neither option is entirely satisfactory, but I solved the problem with some handy layering. I love how much movement this outfit has, which helps to disguise the fact that it’s basically a two-piece version of “potato sack”. But a fancy potato sack because velvet and silk is automatically elevated. Note to self: add more velvet to wardrobe. My goal is to be comfortable without it being immediately apparent than I’m wearing things that might as well be pyjamas.

Inventing Layers

I like this Pyne & Smith dress a lot, but I don’t find it easy to style. The top buttons up like a shirt, which is not my favourite detail and I find it inhibits some of my styling attempts. But! I think I’ve finally hit on a layering combination that works really well. This Sarah Pacini vest thing looks awesome when it open, but is also very interesting cinched closed. The asymmetry is *chef’s kiss*. And I also love the mix of textures here between the nubby knit and the textured linen.

Old Faithful

This skirt is the oldest piece in my closet, specifically the oldest piece I purchased at retail. I just confirmed the year: 2000. I know, because the GAP labels all their clothing with the release date, and the tag on this skirt says “04/00”. And no, that’s not a typo: it IS from the GAP. It’s also silk and surprisingly great quality. Rediscovering this skirt in my archive closet may have ignited a bit of an obsession with vintage GAP. Back in the day, it used to be one of my favourite aspirational brands. Yes, you read that correctly. I couldn’t afford to buy it, and I admired it from afar (the old ads were so good!). I still remember this skirt being a very special purchase – I managed to snag this on clearance, and it was a huge thing for me at the time. Anyway, I’ve been going down an internet rabbit hole looking at some of those old GAP ads, and seeing what other pieces from the 90s/early 00s might work for my current style so I keep my eyes open for them at the thrift stores.

I have been using my art projects as a distraction since the lockdown back in March, and I feel like I am now hitting a wall. I’ve gotten used to working with my hands constantly in my spare time, but now I find that I am distracted and having to push to finish projects. It’s probably a sign that I need to take a break and maybe allow myself to, well, just “waste” time. The downside is, of course, that life in the midst of the pandemic still requires distractions so I need to find some new healthy ones that don’t involve screen time. But that is a post for another day; today, I’ll show you a some of the things I did manage to finish recently.

Portrait painting has been on the back burner since the beginning of the year; I began to feel burnt out on that back in January so I took a break. Right in the middle of a portrait. The unfinished work has been sitting next to my easel since then, a gentle reproof. Last month, I decided it was time to ease back into portrait painting; I had an inclination to work on a new piece, but I felt like I would first have to finish the old one. So I did. This is what I started from:

I won’t lie – it was a challenge. It’s as if I had lost my muscle memory for it. I struggled for what felt like a very long time and while I don’t feel like it’s one of my best works, I am happy with how it turned out in the end.

This one ended up feeling extra special for unexpected reasons. As I was working on it, I kept thinking that the girl looked like what my daughter might look when she’s older. It’s not why I chose the subject to begin with; the inspiration photo doesn’t look much like my daughter, but the painted version took on a life of its own as my portraits tend to do, hah. After I finished it, my daughter decided (unexpectedly and wholly unrelated) to cut her long hair — almost 18 inches of it — into a shoulder-length bob. So now the likeness feels even stronger in a way.

Moving on, most of my time lately has been devoted to making jewelry. I have been lucky enough to sell a few pieces – enough to cover some of my material costs. Gotta love a hobby that can pay for itself. Here are some of them:

“Styling” my pieces has been a whole separate hobby – it allows me to play with my clothes again, and indulge in a little sartorial fantasy outside the bounds of my (pretty mundane) everyday life. As we move into fall and winter, I’m going to need all the escapism I can get. Speaking of which, I would love to hear about any projects you’ve been working on, or new hobbies you’ve picked up.