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day fifty-nine

two months down...four more to go! so far, this adventure in dressing is living up to its name. this month, my dress and i have:

* been heckled
* stayed up way too late
* squinted a lot
* been inspired
* held a contest
* sent birthday wishes
* redesigned the olympics
* made dinner

and once again, most importantly, i received three generous monetary donations for almost home which is why i'm doing this adventure in the first place! thanks so much again to everyone who reached into their pockets for this amazing cause. just a reminder, i stayed at almost home for three weeks while tenzin was in the nicu. they are not part of any hospital and don't receive any united way funding which is why every little bit i can raise for them will go a long way.

i have high hopes for march to hopefully raise even more money for this amazing place. could you please do me a favour and email/facebook/twitter my website to a few of your contacts? i need help getting the word out since there are only four months left to go!


and last but not least, please don't forget about my contest! how could you? i've been bothering you about it non-stop for nearly a week...which means that there is only one day left to enter! i will be choosing the winner tomorrow by 6:00 pm - the largest donation of the week wins their name in lights! will it be you? check back tomorrow to find out...
*****

today's look while ripping one more month off the calendar:

black sweater over dress: fairweather, about two years old ($20)
brown tights: (about $12)
striped socks: zellers, a year old ($5)
black platform shoes: aldo from two years ago ($125)

grand total:
about $162.08

day fifty-eight

this afternoon, i cooked dinner. so what, you say? well, i'll admit i haven't cooked in ages. so long, in fact, i actually can't remember exactly when the last time was. i don't count breakfasts, as in throwing a piece of toast in the toaster, no matter how good that piece of toast may be. i used to cook all the time, but then lost faith along the way a bit. i used to be alright and then gradually, every dish i maked seemed to be subpar. something would always go wrong or taste strange or was downright unimaginative. and when you have a husband who'd a bit of an anthony bourdain/gordon ramsay/thomas keller/marco pierre white hybrid, there's really not much point in trying anymore.

i've always been drawn more to baking, but even the last time i did that was a bit awkward seeing as i was making oatmeal cookies and partway through realized i only had one-third the required amount of oatmeal. kind of reminds me of the time we barely had any ingredients in the house and i decided i'd make a really easy chocolate cake. i searched for and found a simple recipe that only contained five ingredients. and i forgot and/or screwed up the quantities of three of them. ever tried shiny chocolate unraised gelatin? unfortunately, i have.

but back to tonight's dinner. which i actually cooked. i made indian food and it worked! it tasted edible and everything. okay, so The Husband added some amazing homemade naan bread to the mix which i have to say elevated it all to that next level, but oh my. i think i have refound my faith in the food gods.

amen.


*****

today while swinging around while dinner simmered:

grey t-shirt under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
grey tie around waist: donated by my sister for this project - thanks again! (free)
brown pants: secondhand (free)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
about $75.08

p.s. - are you getting sick of me reminding you about my contest yet? you only have till monday for a chance to see your name/message/cause in lights!

day fifty-seven - part two

just writing to say that i received another generous donation tonight! thank you so much to the person who donated! you made my day.

day fifty-seven

have you been watching the olympics? i have here and there. it's great and all, especially living in the host country. it's quite an honour. (see that "u" in honour? yep, that proves right there that i am a real, official canadian).

anyway, the olympics are great how they are, but i think next time they should consider changing things up a little and maybe cross-promoting the different sports. this could theoretically gain double the fans for each event! hear that olympic committee? here are my suggestions:

* the skeleton could be even more exciting if the athletes donned speed skates and hurled themselves down the track.
* ice hockey would be a touch more challenging if done wearing alpine skis, don't you think?
* the biathlon could be made harder if the athletes wore cross-country snowboards strapped to each foot instead of skis. just sayin'.
* instead of throwing a rock during curling, how about one of those tiny figure skaters? rocks just slide down the ice; skaters can do triple-axels!
* speaking of figure skating, how about speed-figure-skating instead of just regular old boring speed skating? i know, so much more interesting!
* freestyle skiing? how about launching off that track upside down on a luge instead? now that's exciting!

i'm pretty sure this could catch on...

*****

today's look while not participating in any actual sporting events:

purple turtleneck under dress: jacob connexion from about three years ago ($15)
brown lace skirt worn tiered under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
purple tie around waist: deconstructed from old t-shirt (free)
purple tights: zellers ($10)
black ruffled platform wedge sandals: if footwear, about nine months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $135.08

p.s. - please don't let me down, people! only three more days left to enter my contest!

day fifty-six

today it looked so magical outside that i tried taking a picture of myself catching snowflakes on my tongue. that will be fun, i thought!

picture after picture, it just honestly looked like i was gagging out a furball so i spared you that lovely image and hid in a bush instead.

*****

today's look while keeping my tongue firmly in my mouth:

black turtleneck under dress: old navy, about two years old ($15)
black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)
black toque: handknit by me (about $2)
green striped scarf: handknit by me (about $5)
beaded bracelets: mix of some i bought years ago (about $5 for a set) and some donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks!
black tights: zellers ($8)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
about $135.08

p.s. - please enter my contest! it's for an amazing cause...

day fifty-five

dear people with their christmas lights still up and on,

no, wait! i'm not picking on you! this is all about giving you the benefit of the doubt...

perhaps you haven't changed your calendar in, oh, about one or two months? you're probably just really busy like the rest of the world. or maybe you have a terribly bad memory (maybe from a concussion or amnesia even!) and not-so-good-at-reminding family members telling you to take them down. i bet that's it.

i've been resisting the urge to leave lovely little hand-written neighbourly notes in your mailboxes, you know, just gently reminding you that it's been nearly two months since christmas, and it's probably safe to take them down now.

oh, i know! maybe you think santa missed your house and you're thinking he'll just catch you on his second way 'round the world. sorry, i'll let you down gently: there's only one round per year. he's bound to miss a couple of houses (he has the whole world to do)! either that, or you were just really super naughty. but you're probably well aware of the rules by now.

i know it's called the "christmas season". perhaps that's what's misleading you. when i was a youngster and learning about the seasons, i only learned four: winter, spring, summer and fall. but, it appears that alternate schools must have taught about a fifth season known as christmas. i understand this can be confusing since the christmas season is actually encompassed in the winter season. but all it takes is a little research to understand that they're not the same thing and not equally decorated.

i hope this helps to clear things up for you. i would totally offer to help you take those lights down myself tomorrow, but sorry - i'm really busy.


*****

today's look while blinded by the lights:

black t-shirt under dress: next exit, about seven years old ($45)
green crocheted hat: value village, nine months old ($4)
brooch on hat: jacob, about four years old (about $15)

bracelet: made by me out of old zippers (free)
silver ring: secondhand (free)
black tights: gifted (free)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
$139.08

p.s. - if you're still into the giving season, you should definitely check out my latest contest! you give, i give...

day fifty-four

dear anonymous person in my life,

we have been friends for just over sixeen years. we became friends via an anonymous post-it note that you stuck to my computer monitor when we worked at the same company saying "reminder: tomorrow's my birthday. don't forget!" or something along those lines. since then, we've shared countless weekend breakfasts in the market, chatted over dim sum, shopped till we dropped, and hung out at your cottage (which, no matter what you say, is still really actually a gigantic house in the suburbs to all of us regular people). we've shared heartbreaks and karaoke stages, cups of coffee and heart-to-hearts. we haven't always lived in the same zip code, but we've always stayed in touch.

you have an amazingly generous soul. you are always there for me no matter what, and i will always be there for you too. you are my true friend and you hold a very special place in my heart (don't let it go to your head).

and so on this your special day, i wish you a very happy birthday. thanks for sixteen years of great memories with lots more to come...

xo

*****

today's look while blowing birthday wishes across the miles:

purple dress over dress: liquidation world, about seven months old ($7)
purple tights: zellers ($10)
green crocheted hat: value village, nine months old ($4)
purple flower pin and tie around waist: recycled by me out of an old t-shirt (free)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
about $96.08

p.s. - don't forget about my contest!

day fifty-three

so, just as we appear to have hit an early spring, the donations seem to have frozen...

i know everyone's always being bombarded for donations for something. hell, i've worked in an office before and know that practically every other week means it's time to pony up for either:
a) a coworker's birthday

b) a coworker's baby shower
c) a coworker's wedding party
d) a coworker's bail bond

you know, there's always something going on and a card being passed around with an envelope begging for some coins. but my little envelope needs your attention too...

so i have decided to hold a mini contest! if you donate this week, the person who gives the largest donation by next monday, march 1st will get their name in lights! i will put your name/website link/cause/message to the people on this website every day for an entire week. an entire week! did you recently start a business? make something you want to show off? are you an artist? do you want to propose marriage? do you want to publicly apologize to someone? are you looking for a mate?

all you have to do is donate using the easy paypal link at the top of the page and next monday, i will announce the winner right here! then from march 2 - 9, you will get a mention every single day and your message will be spread around for everyone to enjoy - all for donating and helping out an amazing cause!

(for more info about the charity i'm raising money for, please visit http://www.almosthome.on.ca/.)

good luck!

*****

today's look while depending on the kindness of others:

blue crochet sweater over dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
brown corduroy pants: jeffrey rogers from england about ten years ago (about $30)
socks: secondhand (free)

grand total:
about $30.08

day fifty-two

i spring cleaned today. even though it's only february, it was above zero and it felt like spring, so off i went to the basement. the basement i cleaned up and made over only a few short months ago, but you would never know it. there were piles of stuff everywhere. haphazard stacks of towels threatening to fall at any moment. hills of empty beer cans. a bucket of compost, luckily with a lid on at least. even a couch  hidden under piles of blankets and cardboard boxes and scarves. dirty laundry to be done and dust in every crevice. not a pretty sight.

but now...a beautfully organized area. things packed neatly away in boxes and arranged on shelves. dust swept outside to melt away with the snow. floor space that is actually visible.

and best of all? a clear head and (hopefully) no cleaning to do come actual springtime.

*****

today's look before it got completely dirty and covered with dust:

black dress under dress: old navy, about two years old ($30)
blue turtleneck: old navy, about two years old ($15)

grey camouflage tie around waist: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
grey wrist warmers: handknit by me (about $2)
grey tights: (about $15)
black platform shoes: aldo from two years ago ($125)

grand total:
about $187.08

day fifty-one

today i am posing with mr. stinkers. mr. stinkers is just about the friendliest stray cat you will ever meet. that's probably why he has a name and isn't just known as that damned cat that keeps coming around and pissing on our rosebush. not that we have a rosebush. but if we did, i'm sure he'd be very considerate.

he is the best stray cat because he only comes around once about every four or five months. just when you're standing outside by yourself in your driveway daydreaming, he shows up ninja-like out of the bushes and makes you scream a little out loud. or at least that's what he did to me today.

he never whines at the door or begs for food. he doesn't like us quite enough to bring us mice which is just fine with me. he is friendly and affectionate and is just happy with whatever amount of patting you are up for at the time. he doesn't even stink like his name suggests. he is actually quite neutral smelling for a cat. i have smelled him quite close up. in fact, after i took this picture, he climbed right up on my shoulder and gave me a neck massage. with his face.


i am not even a cat person (despite having had a few for pets) and he doesn't gross me out. best of all, he doesn't have any of those nasty furballs or strange lumps that most cats tend to get. ewwwwww.

but i still scrubbed my hands as soon as i came inside.

*****

today's look while hugging a cat at dusk:

white sweatshirt over dress: stitches, about three months old ($7)
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
brown boots: zellers, about three months old ($20)

grand total:
about $57.08

day fifty


today was filled with:

car knitting, family visiting, newborn holding, dinosaur and furry animal and birds at the museum viewing, oil changing, amazing asian supermarket shopping, and shawarma eating.


city, you were good to me today.

*****

today's look while introducing my fridge to yummy dim sum:

black t-shirt under dress: old navy, about four years old ($15)

green t-shirt around waist (modified by me): thrifted (can't remember details)
smaller green tie around waist: from dressing gown (free)
dark-wash jeans: liquidation world, about seven months ago ($3)

grand total:
about $18.08

day forty-nine

today i woke up on the neutral side of the bed. hey, some days are just like that. nothing good, nothing bad to note. just...

yeah.

*****

today's look while staring blankly into space:

grey t-shirt under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks!

green tie around waist: donated by my sister for this project - thanks again!
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
brown boots: zellers, about three months old ($20)
all silver bracelets: secondhand (free)

grand total:
about $50.08

day forty-eight

dear anonymous person in my life,

i sometimes wonder why the only time you ever email me is when you want something. whenever i reply back or write to you randomly to try to keep in touch and see how things are going, i never hear a word. this has gone on for many years.

i think i am breaking up with you. i wish you all the best. sorry it didn't work out.

goodbye...


*****

today's look while movin' on:

brown sweater over dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks!

jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
brown boots: zellers, about three months old ($20)

grand total:
about $50.08

day forty-seven

so where did the idea for this adventure come from anyway? allow me to introduce you to the amazing sheena matheiken over at the uniform project. she is wearing her little black dress for an entire year and that year is up this april. every day, she creates amazing, daring, artistic masterpieces (that often only she could pull off!) out of one simple black dress and one-of-a-kind accessories. through her project, she is raising money for the akanksha foundation which will go towards the education of underprivileged children in india.

i had the privilege of chatting with sheena a couple of months ago before i started my own project. she was amazingly sweet and supportive and an absolute inspiration. as of this moment, she has raised a whopping $54,837 which translates to 152 kids in school! it just blows me away how much good she has done in such a short time.

realistically i know that i will never be as fashionable, as connected, or anywhere near as successful as she has been with her project, but it's not a contest. her positive, sincere attitude and encouragement keep me going every day to continue on my own quest to raise money for almost home and to do my best to succeed. i have a strong dedication to my project thanks to her as my inspiration.

so thanks, sheena. i can't wait to see what you have up your fashionable sleeve next!

*****

today's look while continuing on my quest:

brown long-sleeved t-shirt under dress: value village, about a year old (about $4)
embroidered tie around waist: refashioned from a t-shirt my sister donated for this project - thanks! (free)
green crocheted hat: value village, nine months old ($4)
brown knee socks: sears ($8)
brown leather boots: aldo, about three years old (about $125)

grand total:
about $133.08

day forty-six

for the past couple of days, i've been trying to teach tenzin to wink. it's not working very well. he can do many things, but he can't master the wink quite yet.

which got us to thinking tonight: why is a wink used to convey that you think someone is cute? i mean, really, is scrunching up one eye at someone really a good way to let them know you think they're something special?

i suppose it could present an offer to readjust one's contact lens which could lead to a touch on the cheek which could lead to a kiss which could lead to a date which could lead to another few dates which could lead to some anniversaries which could lead to marriage...

but i think handing someone your phone number's the better way to go.

*****

today's look while sitting on the fence:

purple dress over dress: liquidation world, about seven months old ($7)
large solid & small printed brown ties around waist: scrap materials (free)

grey wrist warmers: handknit by me (about $2)
striped socks: zellers, about a year old ($5)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
about $89.08

day forty-five

do you do valentine's day? we don't in this house. used to be we'd fulfill all of the obligations, tick all the correct boxes. hastily bought card? check. flowers because it's the done thing? check. fancy dinner out so everyone can see just how romantic we are? look! check. but then we discovered that was all we'd been fulfilling - obligations. sound unromantic? not really. sorry, we're just not that into it.

plus, it's not as though we're exactly lacking in fancy dinners around here.

*****

today's look while still wearing some pink (and a helluva lot of other things):

black turtleneck: old navy, about two years old ($15)
black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)
pink tie around waist: refashioned by me out of an old t-shirt (free)
brooch worn on waist: jacob, about four years old ($15)
black hairband: can't remember
pink flowers on hairband: refashioned from an old pair of secondhand shoes (free)
black tights: zellers ($8)
black ruffled platform wedge sandals: if footwear, about nine months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $178.08

day forty-four

i would write more now, we had a really busy day (chinese feast and all...) but hey, it's saturday night! there is some fun to be had!

i remember when saturday nights were spent getting ready just about now, getting together with friends, having a blast, and staying out till the wee hours.

now please forgive me while i go and, um, do some crafts.

*****

today's look while doing some afternoon-instead-of-late-night partying:

blue t-shirt under dress: old navy, about four years old ($15)
vintage blue printed ribbon around waist: random thrift store (about 10¢)
jeans: value village, about six months old ($20)

grand total:
about $35.18

day forty-three

tomorrow we're having a giant early chinese new year buffet. there is much preparation and cooking to be done for this feast. a feast so elaborate that The Husband was out in the driveway today using the car's air compressor to inflate a duck. say no more.

*****

today's look while being a willing taste tester:

long grey sweater over dress: secondhand (free)
grey tights: (about $15)

grand total:
about $15.08

day forty-two

i am so blind. and i hate to wear glasses. and by hate, i mean really strongly dislike - kind of on a par with an unadventurous person's initial reaction to offal. but without them i can't see two feet in front of my face. no, make that one foot. (ish.) the annoying part is that i'm blind, but not blind enough to get a prescription for a seeing eye dog. i know this because i tried asking for one at my last eye appointment, but the optometrist wouldn't do it.

in my earlier years, i would only wear my glasses when i really couldn't see the blackboard, but at all other times, i would meander around in a half-haze, likely squinting quite hard. i'm sure people thought i was trying to give them evil looks when all i was really trying to do was look cool and not bump into things.

then i finally got contact lenses. i remember the first time i put them on, it was like a miracle. like a light beamed out of the sky and a choir of angels could be heard. being able to see without glasses on? what a concept! everything was so...clear! but then as the years progressed, my eyes became unable to tolerate them without getting dried out and bloodshot, so i basically looked like a druggie fixing for a, well, fix. not a great look. especially at the office.


next came the inevitable glasses that had to be worn full-time, since i honestly can't read either close-up or far away now. it is kind of fun to take them off once in a while, though, and see life through a hazy blur. everything has a fuzzy edge and regular old items become near-unrecognizable. it's like those photos in kids' magazines where part of a familiar object is shown and the child is supposed to recognize what it is through some kind of cognitive approach. yeah. then after about two minutes the fun is over and i actually really need to see for real. so on go the glasses again.

maybe someday i'll be able to get surgery so i can once again see the world without accessories. or maybe one day i'll get my prescription dog.

*****

today's look while turning a blind eye:

black t-shirt with velcro tab over dress (today, i've spelled out "forty two"): next exit, about seven years old ($45)
black ruffled platform wedge sandals: if footwear, about nine months old (about $110)
black tights: gifted (free)

grand total:
about $155.08

day forty-one

hmmmmm...is a haircut considered an essential or a non-essential? can't decide. discuss.

*****

today's look while contemplating the crystal gayle look:

green sequined t-shirt under dress: american eagle, two years old ($15)
black cardigan over dress: fairweather about two years ago ($15)
brown pants: secondhand (free)
beaded necklace & bracelets: donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks!
brown boots (not visible): zellers, about three months old ($20)

grand total:
about $50.08

day forty

from the moment i first discovered vivienne westwood years ago, i have always been a big fan. hmmm..maybe it's the red hair? there are many, many reasons really, but when i read this, i swooned a little. not buy any non-essentials for six months? holy crap, it's as if she read my blog.

a far-out wish, for sure, but i think it proves we redheads have a certain special connection.

*****

today's look while drooling over fantastical creations i'm not allowed to buy (and could never afford anyway):

white sweater: can't remember where bought, about five years old ($40)
green sequined t-shirt under dress (not visible): americal eagle, two years old ($15)
jeans: value village, about six months old ($20)
brown socks: zellers ($3)

grand total:
about $78.08

day thirty-nine

just studied a bunch of dental terminology. fascinating, i know.

my personal observations about dental instruments are that they sound like they can fall into one of the follow three categories:
1) medieval torture devices
2) gardening tools

3) james bond weapons

either way, i am pretty convinced i'm going to have weird teeth dreams tonight.


*****

today's look while not being very ladylike:

white shrug: value village, about three years old (about $7)
brooch: jacob, about four years old (about $15)

black tights: gifted (free)
brown knee socks: sears ($8)
skates: can't remember (probably about $30)

grand total:
about $60.08

day thirty-eight

i'm posting pretty late tonight. that's because it's usually near-impossible to post in the daytime and tonight was a study night. so at the moment, i'm pretty much devoid of any cognitive activity, but i just had to let you know that i'm pretty sure i actually reached the end of the internet. i did search after search on various terms tonight and honestly, how is it possible that things can not exist??? i mean, really...am i the only person who has tried certain searches before? how come the answers aren't there? for real??? i'm almost positive i'm caught in the middle of some kind of a conspiracy.

so as soon as i've graduated, i think my next project will be to rewrite the internet so everything's there. you're welcome.


****

today's look while demonstrating various ways to obtain splinters:

blue turtleneck: old navy, about two years old ($15)
purple scarf around waist: donated by my mother-in-law for this project - thanks! (free)
purple tights: zellers ($10)

winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:

about $100.08

day thirty-seven

i never win anything. okay, well that's not entirely true. i once won a clock. but not just any clock: an exclusive, elusive ray clark clock. i was working in england doing painting jobs. we would listen to the radio every day while we were working. there was a program run by a dj named ray clark and every day, he would present an anagram which, if you could unscramble it and be the selected caller, you could win.

i was only in england for a very limited time, and it became my mission to win a ray clark clock. every day, we'd try unscrambling the word and calling in with no success, but then one day...oh, one day, i won! the best part was the phrase you got to yell if you won: tick tick tock, i won a ray clark clock!

i couldn't wait to receive my prize. it arrived a couple of days before i flew home. i eagerly tore open
the bubble-wrapped package and there it was, about a whole two by three inches big, made out of tacky clear plastic with the radio info on the face.

oh well, at least i won something.


*****

today's look while wishing myself good luck:

white sweater under dress: jacob, about six years old (about $40)
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
green hat: gifted about fifteen years ago (free)

winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
about $145.08

day thirty-six

today i went skating on a frozen bog at the back of our property. it's a beautiful bog in the wintertime. i went out for a walk earlier inthe afternoon and skimmed off a layer of snow and underneath lay a perfect-looking skating rink.

all of my bog memories aren't quite so nice. well, i really only have one other bog memory. really, how many bog memories can one have, after all? anyway, i was preschool age and my mum and our neighbours and i went out for a nice walk in the woods one day. everything was going fine until my friend and i started zigzagging off the main dirt path. our mums kept yelling at us to stay on the main path because there were bogs on either side. yeah yeah yeah whaever we're having fun and what's a bog anyway, we thought, so we kept zigzagging until...splash! there i was up to my neck in bog water. what happened next all occurred in very slow motion. i remember the distinct feeling of my body sinking down, down, down while the murky brown water rose up, up, up. somehow i managed to keep my head just above the water, but i couldn't feel the bottom and was running out of time. suddenly at the last moment, i was saved and yanked from the putrid smelly water.

i was forced to swallow my pride and walk home dripping wet and reeking of bog. and to make matters worse, my friend could not stop laughing at me the entire way home, even though it could have just as easily been her instead of me.

oh well, i learned my lesson. now i make sure bogs are well and truly frozen before i go anywhere near them.


*****

today's look while attempting an arabesque to camel spin followed by a triple axel finished off with a flip jump to quadruple salchow with a cherry on top:

grey t-shirt under dress: liquidation world, about three months old ($5)
green nightdress under dress: value village, about a year old ($20)
green tie around waist: from dressing gown (free)
grey knee socks (not visible): gifted (free)

skates: can't remember (probably around $30)

grand total:
about $55.08

day thirty-five

i stayed up late last night. like, really late till 2:00 am. i used to stay up till 2:00 am all the time. i do not ever stay up till 2:00 am anymore. (except that time when we bought guitar hero world tour for the wii and couldn't stop playing until 5:00 am). anyway, last night i wasn't even doing anything as remotely exciting as that. i was working on an assignment for one of my courses. (see previously referred-to procrastination issues here). i got on a roll and just ended up sticking with it and then the clock rolled forward four hours and that's when i knew i was doomed to a near-comatose state today.

you know you're really tired when you do the following: i was driving to the library this morning when all of a sudden i wondered where my car keys were because, you know, i thought i might need them to get home. then i realized they were in the ignition because i was driving. eesh.


*****

today's look while prying my eyes open with toothpicks:

striped t-shirt under dress: value village, about six months old ($7)
grey wrist warmers: handknit by me (about $2)
grey hat: really, really old (about $2)
grey tights: (about $15)

brown boots: zellers about three months old ($20)
scrap material around waist: (free)

grand total:
about $46.08

Day Thirty-Four - Part Two

I'm back again already! Just letting you know that I received another generous monetary donation today. Thank you SO much! I am very grateful. So grateful, in fact, that I am properly capitalizing this post especially for you, generous donor.

day thirty-four

dear anonymous winter boot heckler,

well, you're not really a heckler, but you have mentioned "the boots" a couple of times now. so today's picture is just for you! i donned my most ridiculous four-inch platforms just because i care.

i am a typical girl in that i have always loved shoes. a long time ago, when i was in about grade one or two, a camera crew came to our class to film a few select children for a local cable show. i have no idea why they were even there, except for i was one of the chosen few and i was holding a puppet. some lady was asking me all kinds of questions, but the entire time i was trying to speak to her through my eyes saying "whatever you do, film from the waist up. got that? waist-up only shots, lady, or i'm gonna be in big trouble!" she must have gotten my telepathic messages because when my family trekked up the street to watch the program at a friend's house when it aired, i was only filmed from the waist up, albeit with a very strange look in my eye. the reason i didn't want my feet filmed? i had traded shoes with a friend that day (blue suede clogs!) and that was a big no-no, lest my feet grow deformed cloven hooves from wearing another child's shoes for a day (or whatever real reason my parents gave me. they were likely just trying to avoid me getting some fungal disease or nasty child cootie thing.)

then there was the grade three picture which also involves a strange contortion of my face due to the fact that minutes before the picture being taken, my sandal broke. so there i stood with my foot sort of dangling off to side, looking a bit forlorn.

another shoe memory is going to zellers as a kid and begging my mum for chinese shoes. they were basically black canvas mary janes but with the wear and tear i gave my shoes they'd only last about a week before dissintegrating. i remember the last time my mum said i wouldn't be getting any more of those because i wore them out too fast. i was heartbroken. but nothing i could do or say would change her mind. so then i pined for the dr. scholl's wooden-soled flip flops. i never got any of those either, but i thought they looked so glamourous and they made a fantastic clip-clop noise when people walked in them.

fast forward over a decade and there i was in amsterdam, buying three-inch spice girls shoes. oh yeah. they looked like hovercrafts on my feet, but they turned my 5'3" height to 5'6" in mere seconds, and i became addicted. ever since, the taller the better. i wore three inch platforms throughout my entire pregnancy and even wore them to the hospital when my water broke.

so, anonymous, i am not really only a boring winter boot person after all. i will try to bust out some more variety. but i'm calling you if i break my tailbone on the ice this winter.


*****

today's look while teetering and tottering around:

purple turtleneck under dress: jacob connexion from about three years ago ($15)
striped socks: zellers, a year old ($5)

brown tights: (about $12)blue beaded necklace: value village, around five years ago (about $10)yellow polka dotted silk scarf around waist: secondhand (free)
green beaded bracelet: donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free) (p.s.: check out her photography site!)
black platform shoes: aldo from two years ago ($125)
grand total:about $167.08

day thirty-three

i am a procrastinator. always have been, probably always will be, at least to a certain extent. i've vastly improved over the years, but it appears that i'm still not quite able willing to give up many of my last-minute habits.

my to-do list grows longer by the day, but there are just so many distractions that get in the way. you know, like reading the internet. and...reading the internet. i seem to have a little bit of a problem with that lately. i have so many things i'd love to get done. things i dream about doing all day when i really don't have the time. things i am sure i will start immediately once dinner's done and the baby's in bed and just as soon as that's all finished with, i make false promises to myself that i'll get started on the important stuff.

right after i just check my email. just for a minute, though! and double-check to see if the few blogs i read daily have been updated. and go onto twitter to see if anyone's done anything fascinating while i've been hanging out all day and eating dinner and reading books to the baby before he goes down to bed.

so, about two hours later, i'm still promising i'll hit my to-do list and swipe a few items off the list, but the damn internet has sucked me into its pit once again and now it's late and all i want to do is watch a tv show or two and then fall asleep on the couch.

oh, discipline, where have you gone? i promise tonight i'll get something important accomplished...

*****

today's look while doing something else other than what i should probably be doing:

black t-shirt under dress: old navy about four years old ($15)
brown and orange necktie worn around waist: donated by my dad for this project - thanks! (free)
black tights: (about $15)
orange necklace: aldo, can't remember how old 
($10)
orange beaded bracelets: can't remember how old (about $5)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)
grand total:
about $120.08

day thirty-two

i love everything about knitting. from choosing the perfect pattern to browsing my favourite local yarn shop for wool to casting on and then finally...finally...casting off the completed garment.

it's the only thing related to needles that i love. i love sifting through vintage patterns tagged with headings such as "for the well-dressed young man" that are modeled by slightly creepy-looking children wearing things such as knitted helmets and dickies. i marvel at the sheer accumulation of tiny stitches, each completed one by one. the patterns comprised of formulas only a pure mathematics genius could fathom. the detail. the concentration. the patience. oh god, the patience. it's akin to the work of monks, really.

(only without the head-shaving part.)


*****

today's look while wearing the same thing over and over again:

black turtleneck under dress: old navy, about two years old ($15)
patterned vintage silk cravat around waist: donated by my dad for this project - thanks! (free)black skirt under dress: made by my sister (free)
black knee socks: ($5)

grand total:
about $20.08