Eggplant Cardigan From Stitch Fix

Today I have a eggplant cardigan that I received in my November Stitch Fix box.  My Fix arrived three days early this month, which was a real bummer because then I couldn't have my hubby take pictures of me in my Stitch Fix outfits.  I did manage to take a few selfies so I will just do a Stitch Fix Review post next week instead of my usual "one piece at a time" posts.

As you can probably guess because I had pictures taken, I ended up keeping this sweater.  I really liked the color, the style of knit, and the slanted pockets.  I wore the cardigan to church with this little skirt that is also from Stitch Fix, but very old.  See other ways I styled this skirt HERE, HERE, and HERE.

I also wore jewelry that are also Stitch Fix pieces.  The earrings I received two boxes ago, and the double bar necklace I received in my November box.

I was thrilled to see this necklace in my Fix.  I liked the simplicity of it for more casual outfits (or for balancing  more fancy outfits).  I have a lot of really nice, or fancy jewelry, so it's nice to have a more simple necklace to wear with casual outfits.  The necklace is by Jill Michael and is called "Elliot Pre-Layered Bar Necklace".

I bought a new pair of black boots when I was in Illinois last month.  My old black boots were worn out so I really needed a new pair.  I was thrilled to see these at Ross for only$25.00.  The slouchy style is really trending now.

This is the outfit without the infinity scarf.  I like it better WITH the scarf.  Which look do you prefer?  With the scarf or without?

The name of the sweater is RD Style "Montoya Open Cardigan".  It has a nice length in back so I should be able to wear it with leggings.  The front of the top is curved.

And here is a close up of this slanted pockets I told you about.  Aren't they fun?

Boots:  Ross, check your local store, otherwise similar HERE and HERE.  Eggplant Cardigan, Stitch Fix, not available, similar HERE. Grey Plaid Skirt, Stitch Fix, not available, similar HERE,  and Jill Michael Bar Necklace, HERE, 

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Our Utah Adventure, Zion National Park, Day Two: The Watchman Trail

This is a continuation of a travel series to Utah.  To start at the beginning, go  HERE.  The rest of the posts in chronological order are HERE,  HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE!

Believe it or not,  on the same day that we conquered the challenging Narrows trail, we also went out again at dusk to hike The Watchman Trail.  I felt it though, and for the first time in my life, I was a little concerned about my health.  Even though we didn't start the hike until around 4:30 it was still around 100 degrees and the sun was very intense.  I was about half way up this trail when my heart was beating so hard and rapidly I could feel it through my chest.  I never felt that way before and it was quite scary.  We stopped to rest under the tiniest amount of shade we could find and we waited till my heart resumed to a normal rhythm before continuing on.  After that, I felt fine.  I have no idea what that was about.  It could have been the heat, the altitude, or maybe it was just too much for my body to do another challenging hike after just doing The Narrows earlier that day.

But the scare was really worth it because the views of this trail are incredible.  We made it to the top before the sun set, so we got to watch the sun setting behind the town of Springdale below.  A lot of hikers were climbing up to see the sun set as we were coming down.  We kept telling them they missed it.  If you want to watch the sun set, you have to climb up while the sun is still up or you will never make it.

The Zion Hiking Guide actually recommends hiking this trail to see a stunning sun rise.  But then you would have to hike the trail in the dark, and I don't know if I would do that as there are lots of steep drops that might be hard to see in the dark.  I'd be sure to take a flashlight!  They also recommend hiking this trail before 10:00 am in the summer due to the heat and elevation gain.

The trail is 3.3 miles round trip, and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete.  It is described as a "moderate" trail for difficulty.  It only has a 368 foot elevation gain, but because the trail is so short, it's very steep.  We saw a lot of people struggling going up this trail, including myself!

The trail has picturesque views of the town of Springdale, the West Temple,  Mt. Kinesava,  the Towers of the Virgin, and lower Zion Canyon.

The picture below gives you an example of the type of trail this is.  It's a rugged gravel trail that switches back and forth along a mountain.  There are no guard rails, but even though I'm afraid of heights, I was never nervous on this trail as I felt I could hike a good distance from the edge.

The trail is called The Watchman Trail because it stops at a viewpoint of "The Watchman";  a red spire rising to an elevation of 6545 feet.

At the very top of the trail is a little "Loop".  Be sure to hike this loop to get a 360 view of everything from this height.

This trail has a lot of greenery, pines, shrubs, and of course Zion's famous prickly flowering cactus!

After I returned home I read a lot of reviews from other hikers about this trail.  Many complained about the lack of shade and how hard it was too hike in the heat of the day.  I'm pretty sure now it was the sun that did me in.  But if we wanted to make it to the top before the sun set we had to start the hike at 4:30.  We planned on doing a different hike the next morning, so we couldn't do it at dawn.

Even though it was a little difficult to get up to the top with the heat and sun, the views were sure worth it.  And getting back down was a piece of cake!

This photo shows the town of Springdale below.

The views climbing up this trail are just as spectacular as the views from on top because you get to look at the rock formations up above you.

Here is a close up view of the type of trail it is.  It's a sandy trail with lots of rocks poking out, so watch your step!

And here is a sun set picture.  This is why you have to start this trail early if you want to catch the sun set, because the rock formation is pretty tall, and once the sun sets behind it, it's gone!  And it happens pretty quickly too!

Next week I will finish my posts to Zion National Park with another high trail and a scenic drive.  Then, it's on to Bryce Canyon after that!

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

A Thanksgiving Card For A Little Girl

The past couple of weeks I've been showing the fall/Thanksgiving cards I made for my kids.  I showed adult cards the first two weeks, now I'm moving on to the cards I made for my beautiful grandchildren.  This week I have a card I made for a little girl, my granddaughter, Alethea.

My image is an old MFT stamp.  I colored her in with Copic markers using all fall colors.  I made her a blond because Alethea is a blond.  Then I added some pretty leaf crystals because I knew Alethea would like that.

The sentiment was stamped directly on the main image panel then I adhered the panel to an orange card base.

Alethea was so cute when she got her card.  After she opened and looked at it, she immediately knew to put it on top of the bookshelf where it would stay safe but she could still see it.  Mom has her trained well. :)

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE