Author: Melody

I Bought From SheInside and Here’s What Happened

- Melody 2 Comments

SheInside

SheInside order review

If you’ve ever looked at any style hashtags on Instagram, you’ve probably seen something about SheInside. It’s probably more colloquially known as SheIn, or that’s how I knew it anyway. If you are anything like me, broke but loves fashion, your eye widens at those incredibly low prices and wonders, “Is this even legit? How could this be?! HAS MY DREAM REALLY COME TRUE?!” The styles on SheInside‘s website are trendy and up to date and there are hundreds of options. But I’m a skeptic, okay? I’m wary of websites boasting free shipping on any U.S. order no minimum and super cheap prices.

A few questions I had about SheInside before I ordered:

Is this legit?

How long will the shipping take?

Where is this even coming from?

What is the sizing like?

Will what I ordered show up how it shows on the website?

Seriously. Is this legit?

Okay, so that’s more than a few, but I told you I was a skeptic. Romwe is a similar site to SheInside, but I haven’t ordered from them. (The girls over at A Beautiful Mess seem to have great luck, though!)

So Melody, what exactly is SheInside or SheIn?

Well fren, let me tell you. SheIn is an online only clothing, shoe and accessory website founded by a “group of passionate fashion loving individuals” from North Brunswick, New Jersey. *SHOCKED FACE* Surprised? So was I. By the looks of it, and by the language and wording in the emails and newsletters sent from this company, it seems that it could be run by a child labor sweatshop in China. (No offense, China.) But alas, according the ‘About Us’ page it’s just a bunch of Brunswick hipsters that have somehow grown their company to be able to sell out of one of their (probably hundreds of) global warehouses.

So if everything seems alright, why is everyone so skeptical?

Again fren, let me tell you. Nothing fantastic can ever come of dresses and tops that only cost $8. Is it sustainable fashion? No way. Are these clothes probably made in sweatshops? It’s possible. (Hence the super low costs.) Are the clothes what they seem to be? Well, keep reading for that.

 

The “Beach Blanket”

Sheinside donut beach blanket

Let’s start with this supposed round donut printed beach blanket. 

The Pros: 

It’s round!
It looks like a donut!
The price! ($10)

The Cons:

This is a scarf, 100% 🙁

Sheinside donut beach blanketSheinside donut beach blanket
Here’s the thing about this “beach blanket.” HEAVY ON THE AIR QUOTES. It looked adorable online and looked way bigger than how it showed up. It’s honestly like a silky, round scarf. I used it as a tablecloth for a hot minute because I couldn’t return it as it was categorized as ‘beachwear.’ *eyeroll* So what will I do with it now? Idk, how does one wear a huge, round scarf?

 

The Pink Scalloped Dress

SheInside pink scalloped velvet dress

The Pros:

Showed up just like it did on the website
The COLOR
The scallops are adorable
It’s actually suede (esque)!
The price ($12, I think?)

The Mehs:

Sizing is okay.

The Cons: 

It’s SHORT AF.
Like, I’m short, okay. 5’3″. BUT THIS SHOWS MY BUTT.
No pockets 🙁

SheInside pink scalloped velvet dress SheInside pink scalloped velvet dress SheInside pink scalloped velvet dress

This was the one item I ordered that I was actually excited about. Those scallops! The blush color! I tried it on and while it fit, it wasn’t as loose as the model online portrayed it, nor the cute girl flaunting it on Instagram underneath the product photo. If I’m honest, her photo was the reason I bought this. We seemed to be similar heights and sizes but boy howdy did it fit us differently. I’ve worn this once as a top and a skirt over it. It’s even too much of an odd length to wear with jeans or tights or pants. I’ll keep working with it and who knows! Maybe it’ll show up in an outfit post someday.

 

The Glasses

SheInside faux glasses review
The Pros:

Just like what is shown on the website
The quality
Each comes in its own hard zippered case (!)
The price!

The Cons:

Nada!

SheInside faux glasses review SheInside faux glasses review SheInside faux glasses review

 

Sorry to all you legit glasses wearers out there, but my 20/20 vision can’t see you with these cool a$$ glasses on. I was super surprised to find that each pair of glasses came its own, granted cheesy, zippered hard case. I’m not, ahem, the most careful human being so this was something I’d actually needed for some of my vintage sunglasses. I don’t have any complaints about these glasses, only that I wish the tortoise shell print was a bit more realistic.

 

What was the shipping like?

SheIn offers free shipping on all US orders–no minimum! Which is a big, fat bold tick mark in the ‘Pro’ column for me. The big, fat bold tick mark in the ‘Con’ column? The wait. I ordered my items 3/21 and got them 4/4. Which is only two weeks, but that’s a long time considering the typical 3-5 business day most retail sites can manage. For a company this large and with as many warehouses as they claim to have, why should it take this long?

 

Was it worth it?

If I had to rank this from an ‘Absolutely!’ to a ‘No way in H-E-double-hockey-stix’ I’d give it a ‘Meh.’ I don’t think my first order could give me a complete picture of what SheIn really offers. Which, I guess, is pretty telling for a brand, right? If the shipping sux and a couple of the five items I ordered don’t live up to snuff, a normal person would probably choose the H-E-double-hockey-stix. But I’m not normal people. If you’re looking for a retailer specializing in sustainable fashion keep walking, Betty. If you’re looking for a cheap fix for your trend wants, look no further. SheIn gotchu.

 

So there you have it. My first ever and probably not my last order from SheInside. Did I answer all of your questions? Anything I left out? Would you order from this company? Have you? What’s your experience? Is that too many questions?

 

 

xxbyyyyeeeee

A Girls Weekend Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

- Melody

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

If you’ve read any post on this blog at all, you know I love thrifting. What’s better than second hand cool junk? So naturally I’d hit up Round Top, Texas. The sale Emily Henderson, Junk Gypsies and Joanna Gaines hit up to buy antiques and vintage items and then, in some cases, duplicate and peddle to the masses for three times the cost. Ever heard of it? The Round Top sale doesn’t have a name. If you want to go you ask your friends, “Hey, you wanna go to Round Top?” and if they’re cool they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.

Hey idiot! What is Round Top?

Round Top is a vintage/antique sale that runs for a week twice a year. It’s free, unless you want to go into The Red Building, but I and my six friends recommend that you do not do that. We paid $10 to swiftly walk through a building with items running anywhere from $100 for a piece of paper up to $30,000 for a crystal punch bowl. HARD PASS. Instead, park anywhere in the literal 90 person town and walk around looking at all the booths. We highly recommend stopping at Royers Pie Haven for sustenance.

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

I don’t like to thrift. Should I still go?

The town of Round Top is an anomaly to me. It only has 90 residents and every single building there is literally from the 1800s, but twice a year thousands of people flock to it to thrift the sale. It’s a beautiful part of central Texas and I highly recommend you check it out if you’re ever able! Even if you don’t like junk, it’s an experience all in its own. Take your significant other and drive through parts of central Texas gandering at the livestock. Get some fresh air walking around this tiny town! See old buildings and meet the vendors that literally travel the entire country for months on end setting up booths and selling their stuff. It’s a cool place.

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas Thrifting in Round Top, Texas
Somehow we all made it to the sale living all across the state. These friendships are wonderful and I cherish them, even though I hate that word. We bond over thrifting junk. What can I say?

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas Thrifting in Round Top, Texas Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

 

There’s a 110% chance I took one of these longhorn skulls home with me. FOR $80. My mind exploded I think when the guy told me these were only $80. It looks incredible hanging above my bed. While I can’t let my mind wander where these were sourced, I’m just glad I finally found one.

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

Also, what would a friend trip be without (non-thrifted) cheese fries? The stand with the couple from Philadelphia has the BEST CHEESE FRIES ON EARTH. Hand cut potatoes, fried and topped with liquid cheese. Yum. Visit them and try their lobster roll!

 

Have you ever been to Round Top? What’d you think? Would you go?

 

 

xx

Life Lately

- Melody 2 Comments

Since I’ve gotten out of the (horrid?) habit of posting my eyeballs out on every social media platform known to man and thus giving myself much needed brain space, I’ve amassed quite the collection of photos that no one has seen. And what’s the fun of taking photos if no one sees them?


Started dating this dummy and added he and his dog Butter to our pack. We are crazy.

Outlast Youth hosted their first successful event! We held a mixer for volunteers and for the community to get to know us. So grateful to be a part of this and for the community’s support. Truly amazing.

Visited Lubbock for a work trip and saw my first tumbleweed.

Shaved my head, dog sat a real life muppet and burned the remnants of my old wedding DVDs in the sink while Paden lit the match.

Dog sitting for some clients of mine, I opened the garage door and that GORGEOUS fully restored baby was staring me in the face. Baby pink? Yes please.

Oh and my family came to visit and my parents are adorable. <3

 

What have you been up to lately?

 

 

xx

#WhatMelWears: Donut Bench

- Melody

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A few weekends ago my family came into town to celebrate my youngest sister’s birthday. The big 1-8. She got a fancy new tattoo that my mom drew (#trendsetter) and we spent the weekend eating and thrifting and being together. It ruled.

One of the days I was responsible for taking approximately 7,834 photos of my sister in approximately 47 outfits for “graduation.” I forced her and her boyfriend to take some of me though. It was only fair.



crochet jacket: local boutique, top: Forever21, jeans: American Eagle, shoes: Converse, necklace: DIY

This bench is my second favorite thing about Glazed Donut Works. Their donuts obviously being the first. They changed up their menu and I could probably only eat their donuts for the rest of my life and be set. Do we have a deal, Glazed?

What’d you do this weekend?

xx

Family Photos

- Melody 1 Comment

 

Bet you thought I meant my human family, lol. NO. THIS is my family. Dogs. If it makes you feel any better, we took these after we took human family photos over Christmas. Notice I’m not wearing a sweater because Texas decided it would just kinda gloss over winter this year and head right into what it thinks is “spring.” Which, I mean, is fine I guess if you don’t own 62 sweaters and velvet leggings you want to show the world.

This was pre haircut in February and it was having a DAY. I could NOT get that turn out to tame and it was flat and weird and ugh. Even with short hair I still have issues.

You wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to get these girls to hold still for a minute while we took some photos. They were too excited to not be in a fence and wanted to get loose and play with my family. Crazies.

I’m wearing: jeans-American Eagle, booties-Shoe Carnival, shirt-stolen from Shelby, velvet kimono-local boutique

HAWT FIRE. My mom is adorable.

 

Anyway, happy finally Friday! I’m going to the enormous Round Top sale with friends for a girls’ weekend. I AM SO EXCITED. Sometimes I look back on my life and say, “God, no wonder I was depressed. I had no friends!” And then I think about all the cool stuff I get to do and the people I get to love in a healthy way and just get the warm fuzzies. Life is cool and hard and weird! That should be the tagline of this blog.

Did you see my collab post with Infinity Jars? Check it out!

 

Love you!

xx

 

Infinity Jars x YDM

- Melody 1 Comment

Back in December, yes, December, Infinity Jars reached out to me to collaborate on a post. I always feel super cool when brands reach out to me like that without any prompting from my end. Makes me feel like a legit blogger!

Infinity Jars boast that they have “the most powerful glass ever created,” and while I haven’t experienced every piece of glass on the planet, I’d say this glass is pretty damn good. Infinity Jars focuses on storing organic and natural products. So remember when I talked about transitioning everything in my house over to non-toxic stuff? This is why these jars rule. Wanna know why this glass is so good? They stored chives in an Infinity Jars jar, an amber jar and a clear jar for two months. After two months the chives came out of the Infinity jar looking brand new. The amber and clear glass ones failed. Pretty hard. They did it again with tomatoes, this time for seven months. (Who wants to eat a seven month old tomato?) The tomato coming out of the clear jar looked like a moon rock while the one out of the Infinity jar looked brand new again. I mean, it’s up to you if you want to eat a seven month old tomato, but I’ll take their word for it.

Infinity Jars are lightproof, have an airtight seal and preserve and rejuvenate freshness. These jars preserve for over six months! They’re opaque and block out all visible light. So bump clear and amber glass, amirite? Did I mention they’re insanely good for organic goods?

For this post, I got to choose three jars, and since I don’t buy my spices or food in bulk like I’d like to, I chose the jars I could use for skincare and an oil jar. Why the oil one? Because I really needed one. Keep reading for my reviews!

 

This is the 50 ml Glass Fine Mist Spray Bottle. I chose this because who can’t ever use a spray bottle? For all of us Americans, 50 ml is 1.7 ounces so it’s totally cool to take on a plane. Let me tell you. When I got these jars in I didn’t know what I was in for but this spray bottle? Dude. It’s a heavy duty spray bottle, man! It’s the finest mist and it’s not just gonna spray off willy nilly if you forget to put the cap back on in your bag. It takes more force than your ELF spray bottles, okay? I decided to put my witch hazel in here for toner. I spray it on a cotton pad and do my thing. MUCH easier than trying to pour it straight from the bottle. 10/10 would recommend.


This guy is the 50 ml Glass Push Pump Bottle. (Real easy names here, guys.)  I haven’t put anything in this bottle yet because I’m waiting to use up some of my other oils. But this will be used for DIY facial oils and moisturizers. It’s the PERFECT bottle for that. I imagine it’d be even better for a thicker moisturizer because of the pump, but I’ll keep you updated on what I do with it. Just like with the spray bottle, this guy is heavy duty. That glass is no joke. And you see the hints of blue on the edges of it? I tried to capture it better in the sun, but Infinity Jars uses a super deep violet glass. It’s proven to save your organic and natural products longer than amber or clear glass! This pump comes with a cap on it as well. I tested it out and it stays on pretty well, but I wouldn’t leave it just floating around in your bag. Put that thing in your toiletries bag, aight? 10/10 would recommend.

Every Infinity Jars order comes with labels. Because, hello, the glass is so dark how will you know what’s inside? There’s a date line on there too so you can know when you put whatever you put in there. I keep my cosmetics jars stored on my bathroom shelf. It doesn’t matter where you store it, the glass will do its job.

This is the 750 ml Square Glass Bottle with Oil Spout. (Again, super clever name.) It comes with a regular screw on cap, but I chose to put the oil spout on because that’s what I wanted it for. Feel free to store whatever you want in it! Balsamic vinegar, herbal tinctures, ointment oils-literally whatever you want. Options are endless! I’ll admit, the oil spout can be stingy. The spout is almost too good. It’ll take a hot second to cover your pan with oil, but it gets the job done. Again, this bottle is best for your fancy EVOOs or whatever you bought at Whole Foods. Probably not gonna do much for that canola oil you got at ALDI, though. 7/10 would recommend.

Put a label on this guy too because I’m forgetful af. See the white background? That’s a cleaning cloth that also comes with every order. But since I decided I’d lie this bottle down full of oil and snap a pic, oil leaked out the spout and ruined the cloth. But don’t worry! I tested it and it works. Just don’t be a dummy like me and soak it in oil.

 

HUGE thanks to Infinity Jars for partnering with me on this post and reaching out! And DOUBLE HUGE thanks to Tania, who I communicated with over there, for her patience! You guys are awesome.

Have any DIY facial oil recipes you wanna give me? What would you use your jars for? Let me know in the comments because I need more facial oils. ?