day one hundred twenty

where the heck did april go to? just trying to gather my thoughts here and figure it out. in the meantime, this month my dresses and i have:

* encountered the easter porcupine
* discovered a human eyeball container
* reached the triple digits
* profited off drunk drivers
* let you rate me - don't be shy!
* gotten a educashun
* run like hell from a rottweiler
* got a job

and, once again, i haven't been let down in the donations department...thank you to all of you who generously donated both clothes and money! i am thankful and amazed. just a reminder, yet again, that all proceeds raised from this effort will be donated to almost home when this project comes to a close in july. please pass the link to this site along to anyone you know might be interested. i am hoping to raise just as much as i can for this amazing charity!

*****

today's look while wondering where yet another month went:

black cardigan: fairweather, about two years old ($15)
grey top over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
keys worn on old chain: from my late great-aunt's house, very old (free)
jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $155.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred nineteen

after dinner tonight, we all went outside to hang out for a little bit. just before tenzin's bedtime, The Husband took him for a quick spin around the yard on the riding mower. he was so happy. he was taking it all in: the hum of the engine, sitting happily in his dad's lap, the fresh evening air on his face. he was smiling. i stood there and watched the two of them going around.

sometime around the late seventies, my own dad would come home from work. eagerly anticipating his arrival, we'd finally hear the motorcycle pull into the driveway. out the door we'd go and take our places: my dad in the middle, my older sister holding tight on the back, and little me on the front. we'd go for a round or two around our suburban yard, and if we were extra good, maybe a ride around the whole block.

watching my son tonight, i was transported back in time to the hum of the engine, sitting in my dad's lap, the fresh evening air on my face. and i smiled.

*****

today's look while feeling a little nostalgic:

grey top under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
red flowered dress over dress: remade by me from a skirt donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $110.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred eighteen

i have to retire one of tenzin's sweaters today. it's a gorgeous handknit sweater that one of my relatives knit for him when he was just six months old. i've stretched every last inch of use out of it that i can, but now he's 22 months and it has basically morphed into a crop top.

it always makes me a bit sad when he outgrows his little clothes. it's a visual reminder that my little boy is growing up right before my eyes. already i can't call him a baby, although i still do a lot because that's what he'll always be to me. wasn't it just yesterday he was a teeny tiny four pound newborn? now he's technically a toddler. at this rate, soon he'll be a full-blown kid and then a man and oh nonononono, please time, could you just slow down a little bit? i just need a moment or two to catch my breath as time whizzes past at lightning speed...i need time to remember all of the milestones, to appreciate all of the events, the changes, the growth of mind and body. to write it all down, to take pictures, to fill the memory box. to teach, to learn, to grow alongside him. to make room in the drawers for bigger clothes.

there will never be enough time...

*****

today's look while taking it all in:

blue turtleneck under dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
blue silk scarf worn around waist: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
jeans: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
native beaded hair accessory: donated by anne williams for this project - thanks! (free)
striped socks (not visible) : joe fresh ($2)
black flats (not visible): payless, two years old ($20)

grand total:
about $22.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred seventeen

i have been having a serious case of the tempermental computer tonight. the kind where i don't know if it's the machine or me. all i know is that the predominant sound that's been ringing through my head for most of the night has been a constant "wawawa" of the charlie brown teacher variety. let's just leave it at that.

oh yeah, and remember to smile!

*****

today's look while thinking of ice cream:

purple turtleneck under dress: jacob connexion, about three years old ($15)
green tank top over dress: can't remember where bought, about a year old ($30)
dark-rinse jeans: liquidation world, about ten months old ($3)
brown boots: zellers, about five months old ($20)

grand total:
about $65.08

day one hundred sixteen

i am so (yawn) tired. i started a new job today. you know how when you're the new girl and you haven't actually worked in two years but then you have to smush (yawn) about a thousand new facts and figures and ways of doing things (yawn) into your only-partly-functioning mum brain and you're trying not to think (yawn) about the fact that now you're a working mother like millions of others but it's still kind of (yawn) hard? yeah, that's how i feel today. happy but very, very tired.

*****

today's look while taking a little rest:

black t-shirt under dress: next exit, about seven years old ($45)
black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)

grand total:
about $75.08

day one hundred fifteen

yesterday, i posted about an idyllic little country scenario that played out right in our own backyard. today's experience was quite the opposite.

this morning, The Husband told me that there were two little bikes with a "free" sign on them a little ways up the road. one was a little red tricycle, probably perfect for tenzin. i decided to check them out on the way to pick him up tonight. i pulled the car over to the side of the road in front of the house and set the four-ways on. tenzin waited for me in the backseat. i climbed out and noticed that i had to cross a bit of a ditch to gain access to the bikes. there was a rather large dog on the porch barking at me as soon as i got out of the car, but hey, i've seen dogs barking on porches all the time and usually they're quite harmless. and besides, the bikes were sitting out on the side of the road free for the taking.

almost as soon as i'd crossed over the ditch and was inspecting the smaller of the two bikes, i turned around and a giant rottweiler was staring me right in the eye. he had bolted straight down the long gravel driveway and was barking like mad at me and bearing his teeth. he was only a few short feet away from me. adrenaline set in and i scaled the ditch, running as fast as i could for the car, not sure if that was the exact right thing to do or if it would further provoke him in his defense mode. it was only yesterday that i'd heard on the radio not to run away from coyotes because it puts them into predator mode, but a) this was not a coyote, it was a rottweiler, b) the thing looked like it could eat me alive, and c) i have no idea - i was scared shitless. i rounded the driver's side of the car out of breath, heart thumping through my chest. one quick glance back over my shoulder ensured the dog probably wouldn't chomp my leg in half like a chicken bone.

all that for a free bike. and the bikes were no good anyway so not only did i get the crap scared out of me, but i didn't even get the hard won prize of a new tricycle for my boy.

The Husband said the family was probably inside filming the whole shenanigans to submit to some funniest video type thing. man, if they do, i'd better get some of the prize money from those dingbats if they win.

*****

today's look with all of my limbs thankfully intact:

brown shirt under dress: secondhand (free)
patterned top over dress: remade by me from a skirt donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
pewter silk tie around top: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)

grand total:
about $30.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred fourteen

since moving here about six years ago, i have certainly had mixed feelings about this country living thing. i'm sure i've mentioned it here before - likely more than once. i often yearn for the excitement of city life: the buildings, the atmostphere, the energy. but then i have moments like this evening and i realize i would never have had this amazing experience in a downtown life.

we were hanging out in a patch in our garden-in-progress in the backyard - the garden whose footprint is approximately the same size as the one of our house (one more advantage to life on the land, i suppose). it was just tenzin and mr. stinkers and me killing a bit of time, heads down, digging mindlessly in the dirt. mr. stinkers was lollygagging around in the grass; tenzin and i were uprooting old grass and throwing it into a bucket making room for some herbs. i could hear some sort of engine humming in the distance through the usually quiet air. out of nowhere, the normally serene mr. stinkers let out a low growl and then i heard footsteps. loud, strong feet pouding the ground nearby. i looked up from my dirt patch and there it was: a beautiful deer standing only a few feet away. i gave it a reassuring look hoping it would get my esp message that we didn't wish to have it for dinner, that it could stay standing there safe in our yard as long as it needed to catch its breath. it looked at me briefly, but the message must have got blown away somewhere else on the evening breeze. as swiftly as it arrived, it ran away, white tail saluting the sky and made its way into the forest with a few graceful leaps and bounds.

so for tonight at least, for that experience alone, the points go to life in the country.

*****

today's look while enjoying nature at its purest:

blue turtleneck under dress: old navy, about two years old ($15)
grey jersey pants: donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
wooden pendant: donated by my friend maike for this project - thanks! (free)
black ruffled platform shoes: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $125.08

day one hundred thirteen

i woke up today and knew it would be a good one. the morning was honestly not exactly a picnic, but by about 1 pm i was in my element. because at 1 pm i was frolicking with baby goats. well really, they were doing the frolicking. everyone knows there are not many things cuter than baby animals, and when the opportunity presents itself to actually pat and play with them, i am beyond happy.

a few years ago, The Husband and i travelled to disneyworld. we went to one of the parks and there was a little petting zoo so i just had to go even though i was approximately 25 years older than the median age. apparently at one point i actually sort of shoved my way closer obliviously cutting off a small child, but hey, there were animals to be petted and if you're too slow, they sometimes wander off and then there is no chance of petting - for anyone. kids are so oblivious sometimes.

but today, we had the animals all to ourselves and i even let tenzin get some pats in.

now that's one group of kids i don't mind hanging out with.

*****

today's look while participating in the uniform project's lbd friday:

black skirt worn as lbd over dress: made by my sister (free)
black t-shirt under dress: old navy, about four years old ($15)
red beaded necklace worn as bracelet: gifted by an old co-worker (free)
embroidered material worn as headscarf: refashioned from a t-shirt my sister donated for this project - thanks! (free)
black tights: gifted (free)
black platform shoes: aldo, about two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $145.08

day one hundred twelve

last night we had to make a decision possibly involving life and death. The Husband came up from the basement presented with a dilemma. it turns out there was a teeny tiny mouse on the basement floor and although it wasn't dead, it wasn't exactly responding in typical mouse mode by running away when its fate was to enter a box held out in front of it. it would neither enter the box nor run away. it just kind of lay there.

i followed The Husband downstairs. and there it was. the tiniest mouse just barely past the pink and newborn stage. it was small and grey with the tiniest ears. all i could think was its heart must be the size of a pinhead, and it must have been beating a million miles a second. The Husband outstretched the box again trying to entice it in, but its back legs weren't moving properly. it just sat there with its eyes shut, occasionally opening its small mouth likely attempting to scream for help but no sound was coming out. don't tell anyone, but i actually patted it and i'm pretty sure some baby talk came out of my mouth in an attempt to reassure it in some impossible way. we placed it in the box with a tiny bit of food and set it outside the back door.

a couple of hours later, The Husband checked on it and confirmed the inevitable: mini mouse was dead.

The Husband was sick and exhausted. the baby was sick and exhausted. the mouse was sick and dead. not exactly the kind of celebratory night i'd planned on having.

*****

today's look while hoping mini mouse made a tasty treat to something higher up on the food chain:

purple dress? super-sized t-shirt? nightdress? under dress: the dump (free)
pink tie around waist: refashioned by me out of an old t-shirt (free)
jeans: value village, about eight months old ($20)
butterly print scarf worn on head: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)

grand total:
about $20.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred eleven

woohoo! done with studies...done with exams...done with school...time to return to normal life. thanks to everyone who supported me in any way this past year. you helped me get through it in one piece.

excuse me while i go off and nap celebrate...cheers!

*****

today's look while throwing my sheets to the wind:

liberty of london silk scarf around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
white skirt under dress: the dump (free)
silver bracelets: secondhand (free)

grand total:
8¢ (just the cost-per-wear of the dress!)

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred ten - part two

wow...i asked and i received...amazing! one of you out there heard my call so far - i received another donation from a generous reader tonight! thank you so very much. hopefully you will inspire some others!

day one hundred ten

see that box there over to the right? the one that says "total raised so far"? look down a little further...no not quite that far...yeah, that one. it's kinda static and it's bumming me out. i've got seventy-two days left. can anyone help me out? it's for an amazing cause...

*****

today's look while reminding everyone what this project is all about:

army green jacket: giant tiger, about two years old ($12)
black t-shirt with velcro tab worn over dress (today it spells "day one ten"): next exit, about seven years old ($45)
jeans: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $167.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred nine

sensible shoes and i just don't get along. in fact, one of the worst accidents i have ever had happened while wearing sensible shoes so, truth be told, i am actually a little leery of them. i catapulted head-first down a flight of stairs while wearing what i thought were sensible rubber-soled shoes. if that's not a case for wearing the opposite, then i don't know what is.

also, i am a mere 5 feet 3 inches tall, so it's nice to get some extra height where i can. sure i own some flat shoes, but i really don't enjoy wearing them. they are honestly ten times more uncomfortable than my 4" platforms, so i hardly ever wear them. they dig uncomfortably into the backs of my heels, and i can feel all sorts of rocks and things underfoot. i might as well go barefoot.

i have gotten fairly used to people commenting on my shoes. after all, they're not always conducive to life in the country and often likely look out of place, but it's also one thing i've held on tightly to since my city days. hey, some girls wear crocs, some girls wear heels.

the other day, i had a personal debate about how/if my shopping habits will change as of july when i'm able to make purchases again. i still may not have a firm resolution for my clothes, but i've been been drooling over these, these, these, and these lately. it beats the feeling of pebbles under my feet anyday.

*****

today's look while learning the limitations of jumping in stilts:

striped top under dress: value village, about eight months old ($7)
silver bracelets: secondhand (free)
black tights: zellers ($8)
black ruffled platform shoes: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $130.08

day one hundred eight

exams start tomorrow. i have three days' worth and am doing all i can not to have a flashback to 1992 when i last did final exams. oh, well actually i just did exams last semester, but these are the kind of final exams where i can feel the thrill of the last day of school, kind of like dazed and confused but less dazed and slightly less confused. i, for one, will be happy to have all of my nights free again as of wednesday - or at least happy to not feel that familiar guilty feeling if i'm not spending the night studying. it's been a bit of a long haul, this back-to-student status, and i'm feeling rather elated to leave it all behind.

when i'm in my daydreaming state, i often wonder what a stranger would think if they stole my computer and searched my google history. due to these courses, recent searches include: rageaholic, crowe-davis mouth gag, palmer stripper, test done on feces, and my favourite, stomach contains semiliquid material. my guess is the poor soul would drop the computer, run to the nearest sink and wash their hands, throw some acid on their eyeballs to attempt to erase the ghastly images that pop up, and get the hell out of there.

so i suppose, if for no reason other than the assurance that my laptop should remain safely in my possession, it's all been worth it.

*****

today's look while reverting back to my youth:

grey t-shirt under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
brown skirt worn as dress over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
silk scarf worn around waist: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
gold bracelet: donated by anne williams for this project - thanks! (free)
grey knee socks: donated by my mother for this project - thanks! (free)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $125.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred seven

i received some more donations today! this time, it was some accessories sent all the way from the yukon. thank you so much! it's definitely fun receiving packages from others, and i am very happy to get some use out of items that people no longer have a use for.

this whole project has got me thinking about if/how my spending habits will change at the end of these six months. while i haven't come up with a definitive answer just yet, it's been interesting to think about the possibilities. will i crave new items after all of this time of reuse and no shopping, or will i be happy to continue on my path of less consumerism and continue to enjoy secondhand items?

from early on, i have always enjoyed secondhand shopping. there's something fun about sifting through mostly one-of-a-kind items and seeing if i'll find something that catches my eye. it's fun to think about the history of the objects and how they made their way from the original wearer onto my back. but as much as i like the thrill of the hunting for preloved items, i also really like the idea of supporting independent artists. the only negative is that these items tend to be significantly more expensive, though i believe the originality and the care and thought put into these garments usually merits the higher price.

what i do know is that i have found myself in shopping malls on just a couple of occasions since january and they just don't hold the same appeal they used to. and even if something did catch my eye, the want factor disappeared within a couple of days. this makes me wonder if i had really had the cash at the time, would i have bought these things and would i have really appreciated them as much as a one-off found in either a secondhand shop or an independent retailer?

what i do know is that if i had decided i was going to commit to this project more than two weeks before i actually started it, i might have prepared myself a bit better. but it's also been fun to just use what i already own and rely on the kindness of donations. i still have time to decide about my future shopping habits, but it can't hurt to sit back for a few months and think about who will ultimately receive my hard-earned money when i'm back in the shops.

in the meantime, i'm just enjoying the window shopping.

*****

today's look while compiling a wishlist:

purple t-shirt worn over dress: secondhand, dyed by me (free)
purple turtleneck: jacob connexion, about three years old ($15)
native beaded brooch worn on t-shirt: donated by anne williams for this project - thanks! (free)
purple dress under dress: liquidation world, about nine months old ($7)
purple tights: zellers ($10)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $157.08

day one hundred six

if you are back here for a visit, you will notice that i have reverted to my much-loved template. i was having problems with comments (in that i wasn't seeing them even though they were being sent), but as it turns out i don't think it was the template after all, so i have brought back the old look which i much prefer.

i have also added a fun new feature that i came across. look down at the bottom of the posts and you will now see some rating buttons. let me know what you think of the day's look! i have definitely had my own personal hits and misses. i have some old favourite standbys as well as some looks that i have revisited and wondered what the heck i was thinking when i put it on. that's all part of this adventure in dressing.

so, back with some old features and in with some new ones. let me know what you think. and if you have any trouble commenting, just shoot me an email at wardrobedresstruction@gmail.com. i'd love to hear from you!

*****

black knife-pleat skirt worn over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
green silk scarf worn around waist: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
beaded bracelets: donted by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
$125.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred five

it feels like day one hundred five of...this week. oh, it's only thursday? i just finished one of my biggest most challenging assignments to date. i read it, re-read it, re-read it again and again, and finally sent it out there into cyberland. i will contemplate worrying about my mark some other time. for now, my brain is mush.

goodnight mush.

*****

today's look while hoping for some good marks after all of this hard work:

green t-shirt under dress: value village, about two years old ($7)
retro scarf worn around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
green crocheted hat: value village, eleven months old ($4)
brooch worn on hat (not visible): jacob, about four years old (about $15)
black tights: gifted (free)
black ruffled platform shoes: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $136.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred four

the other day, i introduced you to this website. i am now officially obsessed with these types of endeavours and have discovered yet another fascinating project: www.makeshiftproject.blogspot.com. this fellow canadian (yay!) is making all of her clothes for an entire year. "all of her clothes" means exactly that: she is hand making everything down to her underwear, socks, and shoes. yes, shoes. i would love to be able to actually make my own shoes.

she has an amazing unique style which is somehow all the more interesting knowing that she handcrafted each and every piece that she is wearing. but still, shoes? i must learn more about this.

now i just need to find a few extra minutes hours in my day to catch up on all of these amazing sites...

*****

today's look while having not made a thing i'm wearing (but glad that someone else did):

blue turtleneck under dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
blue silk scarf worn around waist: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
black tights: ($8)
brown leather boots: aldo, about three years old (about $125)

grand total:
about $133.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred three

i went for a walk yesterday morning. it was neither a long trek nor a short zip up the road. it was kind of a meandery normal-sized walk. only four vehicles passed me. two trucks and a minivan and some sort of construction-type dump truck. there is always at least one truck. i passed an equal ratio of barns to houses. most were in about the same state, both the barns and the houses. i passed one small white church. it was a quiet walk.

i walked past a bunch of cattails. they didn't look like cats' tails to me at all. they actually eerily remind me of shrunken heads on sticks. but instead of heads, they look like small petrified gerbils.

i picked up four beer cans. four beer cans equals four people who couldn't wait just a couple more kilometers to pop one open. or four teenagers who snuck down the road with their friends to pop one open and trashed the evidence on the side of the road. oh well. their poison is my profit. i made forty whole cents from that walk. that's what i do. i pick up beer cans when i go for walks. i dump out the contents and throw the empties into the bottom of the stroller. i hope no one sees them and thinks i'm a bad mother who drinks while her baby is sitting unaware in the stroller. but no one sees me so it doesn't matter.

i am often alone with my thoughts when i walk. i both like and loathe this. sometimes it's good to have some empty road and some clear fresh air to contemplate it all. but it can also feel like a long lonely path when you walk a country road. there are no distractions from people or architecture or shop windows. just a road with some distant bird calls, your feet in some gravel and no one who knows you're there.

*****

today's look while jumping into it:

red polka dot tank top over dress (dyed by me): donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
black flats: payless, about two years old ($20)

grand total:
about $20.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred two

since i started this project, i've been paying attention to other creative things people are doing with their own wardrobes. one of the most interesting concepts i've come across is this site: http://newdressaday.wordpress.com.

this girl is seriously talented. she is doing 365 days on a $365 budget and is making a new outfit each day out of secondhand items she finds for dead cheap. she trims, she hems, she reinvents, she dyes, she embellishes, she simplifies. she turns muumuus into cute dresses. she turns 80s dresses into great tops. she chops old things up that not many people would give a second look at and turns them into funky, wearable modern pieces.

i really need to learn how to sew.

*****

today's look while having a swing:

brown t-shirt under dress: secondhand (free)
green tank top over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $155.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred one

i spent some time today digging up dirt. not on neighbours or celebrities or graveyards. just regular old garden dirt. i'm making room for some blooms.

i really feel like my city girl self when i'm attempting to get my hands dirty - not that they actually ever get too dirty. for instance, i have to wear garden gloves. have to. otherwise, i might touch a worm and that would mean no more gardening for me again ever. they freak me right out, but at least if i am wearing gloves, i can't actually feel it if one happens to brush my hand. blech.

also, i would much prefer to wear some better looking shoes, but i have to succumb to the practical wellies. i realize that wellies come in all different colours and patterns nowadays, but they are still just wellies in disguise. plus, i'm not allowed to shop at the moment, so i'm stuck with my regular old-fashioned black ones.

i also put on makeup before i went out. i'm not quite sure why, but i guess you never know who might pull up into your driveway when you least expect it. not that you can even see our house from the road, but we have been known to get the odd visitor. like jehovah's witnesses. they'll find you no matter how hard you try to hide. so i like to put a little effort in just in case, i suppose.

so i spent time a little time today in my rubber gloves and my ugly boots and pretended not to freak too hard when i'd dig a little space and a worm would surface. at least out of all of this ugly will come some beauty in the summer once the flowers are out and the worms have found their way back down deep into the dark earth again.

*****

today's look while thinking someone should just invent some cute garden gear already:

striped top under dress: value village, about eight months old ($7)
purple dress over dress (same dress from day eighty-six but died a more flattering shade): donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
purple tights: zellers ($10)
black wellies: secondhand (free)

grand total:
about $17.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day one hundred

this adventure is now officially into the triple digits! this has been a really fun ride so far. i am beyond excited about how much money everyone's helping me raise through this project for almost home. thank you for helping me celebrate one hundred days.

now i've just got to make it to july 1st before my website loses its marbles, needs help peeing, and buys a caravan and retires to florida.

*****

today's look while gearing up for the next round:

blue turtleneck under dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) - thanks! (free)
blue silk tie around waist: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
jeans: value village, about eight months old ($20)
striped socks: joe fresh ($2)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $147.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day ninety-nine

i can't believe it's friday and i still haven't told you about the human eyeball container.

tenzin was sick on the weekend. he was sick as in super sick, running a fever, cuddling, sweating, and had to go to the hospital sick. so off we went in the car, down the long road to the hospital to see what we could do about getting him better.

we were sitting there in the examination room. we read some books, played with some toys, washed his hands in the sink and sat around killing time for a while waiting for the medicine to kick in and bring down the fever. it was during one of the innocent sitting around phases when The Husband looked up towards the top of one of the big shelves that was standing in the corner holding tongue depressors and gauze and medical whatnots. "look up there," he said. "read that container." and i did. and it was labeled 'human eyeballs'.

you think you've seen sick when your child has a fever so hot his cheeks are flaming scarlet. you think you've seen sick when your baby is so ill he won't eat. you think you've seen sick when you've done everything you can do and he's not getting better.

but on the upside, hey, at least we had no use for the bright cherry red container sitting high up on a shelf whose single purpose is transporting human eyeballs.

*****

today's look while playing around with my mind's eye:

black t-shirt under dress: next exit, about seven years old ($45)
black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)
two scarves worn around waist: both donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
black tights: zellers ($8)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $193.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day ninety-eight

it's a wet, rainy day here in the 19-acre woods, and there's nothing on my plate today except for big assignments to finish, textbooks to wade through, and job hunting to get done...

so were my spirits ever lifted when another generous donation arrived today! thank you thank you thank you to the person who donated! you made my day.

a spontaneous surprise is the best antidote to a very gray day.

*****

today's look while dodging puddles in non-sensible shoes:

purple tank top: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free
purple turtleneck worn over dress: jacob connexion, about three years old ($15)
purple dress under dress: liquidation world, about nine months old ($7)
brown tights: (about $12)
black ruffled platform sandals (not visible): if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $144.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day ninety-seven

if you've been here before, you're probably noticing a couple of changes. i'm trying out a new look at the moment. i'll probably keep tweaking it. i really loved the old template, but i heard from a few people that they were trying to post comments and i was never receiving them. so i think it was a bit glitchy and i'd way rather hear from you than just have a pretty site. so apologies if you were trying to comment - try again and hopefully everything works now.

and...maybe you noticed my new box? over there on the right? i thought it might be nice for everyone to see just how well this project is going. i'm just over the halfway mark now, and thanks to everyone's generosity, i've raised $600 so far for almost home! i am super excited to see just how much more i can raise for them in the next three months. thank you so much again to everyone who's contributed in any way to this project. it makes me so happy.

*****

today's look while going for a make-under:

black t-shirt under dress: old navy, about four years old ($15)
black skirt under dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
orange scarf worn around waist: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
orange necklace: aldo ($10)
beaded bracelets: smart set (about $5 for the set)
black tights: zellers ($8)
black ruffled platform shoes: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $143.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day ninety-six

apparently, i have been pregnant for nine months and didn't know a thing about it. i am supposed to have the baby today. hey, it happens. you go to the bathroom one day and out pops a baby that you didn't even know was in you. okay, before you flip out if you know me, no i am not actually pregnant. get the phone off speed-dial. get those palpitations under control. return to normal breathing. let your heart flip back up to its normal position in your chest. i repeat: no baby here.

it's just that i got a message last night on my machine from a labour nurse at a hospital asking me to call her about my induction that was scheduled for today. induction? what? today? aren't you just about, oh, two years too late? maybe i have been growing one of those fossilized alien babies in me - a twin of sorts. maybe i should call the enquirer and try to get some cash out of this.

anyway, i called back and said i wasn't even pregnant, let alone scheduled for an induction. she had my name and birthday and everything on file. nope, not me. my file must have gotten mixed up with somebody else's. too bad april fool's was last week. i could have had some good fun with that one...

*****

today's look while thankfully going nowhere near a hospital:

grey sweater over dress: donated by marci bruyere for this project - thanks! (free)
beaded necklace: donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
brown leather boots: aldo, about three years old (about $125)

grand total:
about $155.08

day ninety-five

today, i was visited by the easter porcupine. i didn't know he existed either.

i went outside to take my picture and heard some scratching up in a tree behind me. i ignored it. i heard it some more, but it was getting louder. i checked it out. something very large and furry was climbing down from a tree behind me. i thought it was a sloth, but i'm not sure if sloths even exist in canada, let alone in my front yard. upon closer inspection (that was not very close at all) it looked like some kind of monkey. i was tired. could it be the largest cat i'd ever seen? no way, that thing was huge. time to leg it inside where it's safe.

turns out it was just the easter porcupine, slowing making his way down one tree only to stop at the bottom, take a single sniff, and climb straight up the adjacent tree.

seriously, this country living thing is really weird. i'm just annoyed he didn't drop off any chocolate.

*****

today's look while trying to ignore giant prickly animals:

black cardigan: fairweather, about two years old ($15)
grey top over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
black skirt under dress: made by my sister (free)
grey socks: donated by my mother for this project - thanks! (free)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $125.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day ninety-four

hop hop hop hop

*****

today's look while huntin' for wabbits:

purple flower in hair: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
yellow scarf around waist: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
white skirt under dress: the dump (free)

grand total:
8¢ (just the cost-per-wear of the dress today!)


kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day ninety-three

i am excited to report that another generous donation has come through! that makes for an even sweeter long weekend. thank you so much to the person who generously donated! it's so exciting to see the numbers growing!

*****

today's look while continuing on my quest for relaxation:

red polka dot t-shirt over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
black and white striped wrist warmers: donated by my mother for this project - thanks! (free)
dark-rinse jeans: liquidation world, about ten months old ($3)

grand total:
about $3.08

day ninety-two

i think i'm going to give myself a bit of a holiday this weekend. i have visitors coming today, and it's going to be beautiful out. i'll still post every day, but it will be minimal - kind of like my dresses.

have a great long weekend everyone!

*****

today's look while running away from the chores i need to get done:

pink t-shirt over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
scarf worn on head: also donated by kimberly - thanks! (free)
black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)

grand total:
about $30.08

kimberly's deja vu boutique
sommerville centre, 6835 highway 62 north (1 mile off the 401)
belleville, ontario k8n 4z5
613.966.3352

day ninety-one

i like items with a little history in them. while shiny new things definitely catch my eye, i usually find items that have been used, loved, and owned previously by someone - or many someones - a little more intriguing.

i love that when i rifle mindlessly through my kitchen drawers, my hand invariably passes over a utensil that one of my late grandmothers would have used and loved before me. i always pause, caught off-guard by whatever it was that i was in the midst of doing, and take a moment and remember them. i know, for instance, that my paternal grandmother would have used a particular rounded knife to meticulously smooth out icing on one of her amazing cakes. or that my maternal grandmother (and relatives before her even) used a particular pie slice so many times that its silver edges have worn thin.

these are not things i would likely purchase if i saw them new in a store. but i like them because of the memories they hold. i like to daydream about all the different ways relatives before me used and loved these things before they came into my possession. i'm not a history buff, but because of their personal connections, i like to think about the history in these particular objects.

i love it that there are still things out there that money will never be able to buy.

*****

today's look while tripping clumsily down memory lane:

green t-shirt under dress: donated by marci bruyere for this project - thanks! (free)
wooden pendant: donated by my friend  maike for this project - thanks! (free)
black tights: gifted (free)
black ruffled platform wedge sandals: if footwear, about eleven months old (about $110)

grand total:
about $110.08