RSS

day one hundred fifty-one

five months down, just one to go! here's what my dresses and i have been up to in the month of may:

* shared with the class
* did a book report
* told you things you might not know about me
* got something off my chest all passive-aggressive style
* wrote a love letter
* had not one but two potential (perhaps maybe) celebrity sightings
* spent an awful lot of time in the car, talking about cars, and/or looking at cars
* expended extreme amounts of willpower

i can't believe there is only one month left. i am so amazingly grateful for the two generous donations i received this past month. my hopes for the final month are to raise even more money for almost home and to enjoy the final time of this adventure. it's been equal parts fun and challenging so far. please help me spread the word!

*****

today's look while gearing up for the finale:

purple dress? super-sized t-shirt? nightdress? under dress: the dump (free)
jeans: value village, a year old ($20)
butterfly-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 fifty

i'm pretty sure i had a celebrity sighting at the garage sale yesterday. by celebrity, i mean a canadian reality show contestant and by sighting, i mean i didn't catch it on film or anything so as to whether it's legit or not, i'll never know.

the person i think i might or might not have recognized was kim cathers of project runway canada. at least, it really really looked like her. i'm pretty sure it was her but with a different hairstyle. i mean, she lives in vancouver and everything, so there's a chance i could be wrong. but honestly, the girl could have been her twin if nothing else.

aw hell, this is sounding a lot like the whole wyle dufresne thing from a couple of weeks ago.

*****

today's look while not sighting anyone at all:

purple tank top: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
pink scarf worn around waist: donated by my mother-in-law for this project - thanks! (free)

grand total:
about 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 forty-nine

so i think today probably tops the charts as the one that tested my non-shopping rule the most. we spent about four hours down at "the great glebe garage sale". if you are from the ottawa area or have ever lived in or near the ottawa area, you know what i'm talking about. for those of you who don't, this is one of the single best neighbourhood garage sales around. great neighbourhood: check. a massive garage sale that raises money for charities: check. street after street after street of fantastically wealthy people selling their amazing castoffs for mere cents: check! check! check! this is one of my all-time favourite types of activities to participate in.

the streets were literally crammed with people. parking was practically nonexistent. this is not just a sale but an event. oh, the willpower i exhibited, people. i could barely even look at half of the stuff for fear i would be severley disappointed if i saw the single best thing ever and would have to leave it behind for someone else to buy. as it was, i bypassed some amazing clothes and books. and yes, they probably went to other people who'd better enjoy them just as much as i would have.

of course since there is an upside to every down, i was at least able to go to town a bit picking stuff out for tenzin. after all, he actually needed a few things due to a growth spurt and a season change, so at least i was able to divert my attention a bit to look for things for him. but i've already marked the date down for next year. and i'm getting up early.

*****

today's look while tired from exerting such mass amounts of willpower:

flowered dress over dress: remade by me from a skirt donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
grey tie around waist: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: liquidation world, about a year old ($3)
brown shoes: aldo, four years old (about $40)

grand total:
about $43.08

day one hundred forty-eight

in addition to really needing wanting some new shoes, my hair is in serious need of some attention. it's turning into a cross between [insert your favourite hair band member circa 1980-something here] and ugly betty (the especially early episodes). if had only had three words to describe it in its natural state (ie: when i catch a glance of it in the bathroom mirror first thing each morning), i would choose: straw-like, poodle-y and yikes. there's not much helping it at this point. although haircuts are against the rules, for my own sanity i should probably get some sort of appointment booked to make myself feel like i'm at least trying to do something about it.

i have a feeling july 2nd is going to be a busy day.

*****

today's look while admiring other people's hair:

blue t-shirt over dress: liquidation world, about eight months old (about $10)
jeans: liquidation world, about a year old ($3)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $138.08

day one hundred forty-seven

so this whole not shopping thing is an interesting experiment. it's basically been five whole months since i have bought anything. in some respects, it's been a lot easier than i thought, but when the seasons change, it's definitely fun to get a few new things here and there.

and then there was the whole shoe incident yesterday morning. i got up from my desk at work when all of a sudden i felt a weird snap. i looked down at my shoe, and a whole part had come unstuck from the sole to the point where it was actually unwearable. so it was a barefoot day. i even had to walk from the office down the street to the car with no shoes on. under normal circumstances i would be all excited to go shoe shopping on the weekend. i even sort of convinced myself for a short while that since my shoe broke and since it is a necessity to have shoes, surely i should be entitled to a little necessary shoe shopping, right? no dice. although i'm not very happy with any of the other pairs i own, i do have a few to choose from, so i'm going to have to suck it up and wait another five weeks before i can replace them. damn, i hate rules. i always have. but they're especially hard when i make them up myself and then have to adhere to them.

in the meantime, i'll be doing some hardcore window shopping for the next thirty-odd days. then watch out.

*****

today's look while wondering where to look online first:

purple dress over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: also donated by kimberly for this project - thanks! (free)
purple bracelet: donated by anne williams for this project - 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 forty-six

so that box over there to the right seems a little stuck lately. i think it's time to put out a little appeal again. i'd love to give almost home even more money for all of the amazing work that they do. they do so much for so many people every year by providing a warm welcoming home for families with sick children. i honestly can't tell you how much of a difference that makes when you are going through an uncertain, stressful time. when so much of your time is spent in a hospital with your sick child, it's such a relief to have a place that gives you a little bit of respite from all of that at the end of the day. there are so many selfless people there that keep the place going, and i would be grateful for any kind of boost to my total - no amount is too small. there are exactly five weeks left...

*****

today's look while getting lost in the dark:

jeans: value village, about nine months old ($20)

grand total:
about $20.08

day one hundred forty-five

this heatwave is a killer. i think my brain is melting. mmmmmmmm...ice cream.

*****

today's look while trying to keep my cool:

black t-shirt: stitches, about four years old ($5)
blue beaded necklace: value village, about four years old (about $7)
pink flower in hair: recycled from a secondhand shoe and made into a ponytail holder (free)

grand total:
about $5.08

day one hundred forty-four

what do you do when you've spent practically three whole days of an amazing long weekend outside under the beating hot sun, you've worked and played hard, and you just need to finally beat the heat?

your husband rigs up a slip 'n slide, and you show your little one how to take the plunge...

*****

today's look while both slipping and sliding:

just the dress. (it was bloody hot out there.)

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

day one hundred forty-three

hey, it's kind of late. it was just kind of one of those perfect lazy yet fairly productive summerlike days. the kind of day where you're pretty much in a tired haze all day. the heat and humidity have turned your hair into a nest atop your head, but you're too distracted by other things to care. today we gardened inside and out. we set up a sandbox. we had a picnic on the lawn. my feet have never been dirtier. seriously gross - but happy nonetheless.

*****

today's look while the heat goes to my head:

blue t-shirt: from a clothes swap party a year ago (free)
silver and blue beaded bracelet (not visible): donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free)

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

day one hundred forty-two

today, a large portion of the day was spent in the car. this morning, we actually went places and did useful things in the car, but after we got home, for about two hours, we just sat in the car.

you see, tenzin has developed the most all-encompassing addiction to all things car-related. it's getting so chronic, he could probably fill an entire episode of "intervention". he wakes up in the morning, his first word is "car!". he looks out of the front window, he bellows "car!". he waves goodnight to the car every night before bed. if he goes anywhere near the car, he runs towards it like a long-lost relative yelling "caaaaar!". small-sized human fingerprints pattern each door of the car where he has lovingly touched it. rather than children's books, just this morning he was sitting on my lap perusing the latest toyota car magazine. yes, while pointing out all of the "caaaars!".

so after we'd spent all morning out in the car, after a nap had been had, what was the first thing out of his mouth? "car!" of course. we didn't need to drive it anywhere, he just wanted to sit in it. so we sat parked in the driveway with him, you know, in order to try to spend some quality family time together. he sat in the driver's seat, then moved to the passenger seat, then back into his little car seat. it was a game of full-on musical bucket-seats at one point. he played with dials, asked for the keys, rocked out to the latest "band of horses" cd we had playing. we took pictures in the car, we laughed in the car, we screamed a little in the car. and when it was time to get out? oh boy...did you hear some brain-numbing wails over near your parts that sounded an awful lot like "CAAAAAAAAAAAR!"? yep, that was him. we finally got him settled/distracted/eating an orange/out on the lawn for a picnic dinner.

and that's when he noticed the (also beloved) riding lawn mower sitting on the front lawn. "tractor!!!!"

hell, we're in a for a long ride...
*****

today's look while wondering where the car obsession began:

blue patterned scarf around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
black assymetric skirt under dress: also donated by kimberly for this project - thanks! (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 forty-one

warning: most boring blog post ahead...(ie: it's about laundry! and the weather!)

so, i'm just wondering if anyone out there has some good hand-washing tips? not for my hands - for my dresses. all this time, for the most part, i have been hand-washing them. i've also been lucky since spring temperatures have been fairly decent so far and appropriate for layering and, therefore, i haven't been washing them after every single wear. but now forecasters have the audacity to say we're in for a heatwave in the coming days with temps hovering in the 30s. what's a girl (who now can't just throw on any old thin cotton top/dress/skirt) to do? hand-wash the crap out of these dresses every day for the next five-and-a-half weeks, i say.

but i need something that really works well. these dresses have taken a whole lot over the past nearly-five months: they've been spilled on, splashed on, had things thrown at them, been peed on, drooled on, and worn a whole lot more than any dresses should at one time. they need something gentle to get them through the next few weeks, but they will definitely need to be washed every day now, and i don't want them looking beige before their time is up. so, that's where maybe you can help. they're 90% cotton/10% spandex...got any gentle but good remedies?

*****

today's look while humming "so fresh, so clean":

green sequined t-shirt: american eagle, two years old ($15)
grey silk tie around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
brown pants: secondhand (free)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, a year 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 one hundred forty

coolest near-celebrity near-sighting of the day: wylie dufresne! um, yeah...there's no way he would have been making an appearance in our itty bitty town. or shopping at the local drugstore.

but i was tempted to ask the guy if he knew how to whip me up some liquid toast. mmmmm...

*****

today's look while loving top chef:

brown top over dress: value village, a year old (about $7)
blue pendant necklace: magpie, about eight years old ($30)
jeans: liquidation world, about a year old ($3)
black ruffled platform shoes: if footwear, a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $150.08

day one hundred thirty-nine

happy friday everyone! oh wait, what? it's not friday yet? well, my internal body clock (body calendar?) sure seems to think it's friday. this week is kinda kicking my butt. maybe it's because it's feeling a whole lot like summer out there now, and the heat is filling my head like a helium balloon. a couple of nights ago, i fell asleep on the couch at 9 o'clock. 9 o'clock! oh, i remember back in the olden days (otherwise known as the nineties) when i thought nothing of going out on a wednesday night, staying out till the wee hours and then hauling myself to work the next day. and maybe repeating the next night. eesh. those days are long gone...oh, but they were fun.

*****

today's look while choosing which toothpicks will best hold my eyelids open:

flowered dress over dress: remade by me from a skirt donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
grey tie around waist: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $140.08

day one hundred thirty-eight

dear Husband,

fifteen years ago to this date, after honing his skills for many years, cupid shot his sharp arrow straight through my chest. although a dingy bar was no place for a normal baby to hang out, cupid doesn't pay attention to such details, and you never quite know when or where he will strike. he's a bit sneaky that way.

the past fifteen years have been a ton of fun. we've produced memories, gone on trips, lived in foreign places, been apart, been back together, rented apartments, bought houses, gotten married, laughed a lot, put up with a lot, found happiness. oh yeah, and brought a little boy into this big world that's fifty percent you, fifty percent me. we've had more ups than down, more good times than bad, been best friends from the start. i can't imagine having anyone else by my side in this crazy world. you keep me sane, you get me through, you make me laugh. you support me, you are always there, you are my better half.

so, fifteen years, huh? it doesn't quite feel that long, but i can hardly remember life before you. and that makes me happy. i love you till the end...

xo

*****

today's look while getting all mushy:

green tank op over dress: can't remember where bought, a year old ($30)
jeans: value village, about a year old ($20)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $160.08

day one hundred thirty-seven

there are 44 days left. not that i'm counting. okay, fine, you caught me. there are forty-four days of brown-dress-wearing ahead of me. full disclosure: it's starting to lose its appeal a teeny bit lately. i mean, sure, you don't really have to think about what you're putting on in the morning, but then i can't just wear the brown dress on its own or i would really be bored, so i still have to think about things a little bit.

i used to wear black all the time. as in every single day. as in if you were to open up my closet, all you would see were black tops and black bottoms. and if you opened up my dresser drawers you would see more black tops and black sweaters. maybe that's the clincher. i've actually started wearing more colour in the past couple of years, so it feels a bit drab and boring wearing brown every single day. but that's the main reason i didn't choose a black dress - because i didn't want to be wearing "boring black" every single day for six months. but now the catch is that it feels as though i'm wearing boring brown every day instead.

oh well, only forty-four days left, like i said. and in the end, i know it will all be worth it. it's for an amazing cause. but if anyone wants to put a boost in these last few weeks, the donations sure help make it all a lot less boring.

*****

today's look while being eaten alive:

black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)
retro necktie worn around waist: donated by my dad for this project - thanks! (free)
black ruffled platform shoes: if footwear, a year old ($110)

grand total:
about $140.08

day one hundred thirty-six

i am lying on the ground on a very old blue blanket that used to belong to my grandmother. it's itching my legs a little, but i don't mind. i am staring up at the sky. it is the same shade of blue as the blanket i am lying on. at the top of my vision is an apple tree. its blossoms are shrivelled now, but the leaves are bright, the colour of capers. a bird flies by cutting diagonally through the sky. it is followed by a dragonfly and then another few birds and some more dragonflies. birds are chirping away in the distance. a coolish breeze whispers softly in my face.

my son is playing in the garden nearby. suddenly, his round face appears above mine, looking down on me. he extends a hand full of dirt into mine, and the warmth of it catches me off guard. it is a serene scene. my son then takes another handful of dirt, shoves it in his mouth and says "mmmmmmmmmmmm"...

*****

today's look while contemplating the nutritional content of dirt:

yellow silk scarf: thrifted (free)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $125.08

day one hundred thirty-five

do you know what today is? it's kimberly's deja vu boutique's fifth anniversary! if you read this site with any regularity, you will have seen a ton of her items featured over the past couple of months. that's because way back on day seventy-nine i took kimberly up on her amazing offer and drove out to belleville where she presented me with a mound of clothes donations for this project. i am still so grateful for her extreme generosity. she definitely made this project a whole lot more fun for me!

anyway, i am getting this message out way later than i'd hoped to today (you know, life and stuff tends to get in the way), but please be sure to visit her amazing consignment shop if you live in or around belleville, if you are passing by belleville, or just do like me and make a special trip. dresstruct your own wardrobe! she's a great lady and her shop is definitely worth the drive.

*****

today's look while getting excited to be able to shop again (sorta) soon:

purple top over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
purple flower accessory in hair: also donated by kimberly for this project - thanks! (free)
black cardigan: fairweather, two years old ($15)
jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)
black flats (not visible): payless, two years old ($20)

grand total:
about $65.08

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 thirty-four

we all know that fridays are usually great days. but what made this particular friday even better was when i came home and discovered a great big donation waiting for me! check out that new total to the right!

thank you SO much to the person who generously donated and provided a nice, round number once again! you definitely put a smile on my face and gave me a fresh round of motivation to keep going!

*****

today's look while amazed by the generosity of others:

black t-shirt over dress: zellers, about two years old ($10)
jeans: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique for this project (details below) - thanks! (free)
black flats: payless, about two years old ($20)

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 thirty-three

my day starts in a horizontal line. a slight blip on the clock zaps like lightning straight to my brain, and my body resists each movement required to make itself vertical. my legs carry me up each stair like a slinky in reverse slow motion. the scribbles that form my early morning thoughts slowly unwind into a clear picture as the caffeine works hard to unscramble them. the day has begun, and just as soon as it has been unscrambled, my head is pumped full of sound. sounds of songs on the radio, sounds of voices recounting the news, sounds of birds and the wind and rain and cars.

i spend my days immersed in the world that takes place outside my cocoon. i return to it in the evening. i sit folded in the car, hovering above ashphalt as the wheels under me transport me across the ground. my head is still pumped full of sound.

my body unfolds itself out of the car and i open the door to my cocoon and hear the sounds of mama!, sounds of dinner cooking, sounds of keyboards and the tv and my thoughts loud and clear.

time winds down, and the moon climbs up into in the sky. my legs carry me down the stairs like a slinky. the thoughts in my head slowly deflate and turn themselves back into scribbles. my eyes are closed now. i am horizontal.

*****

today's look while having a quiet moment:

pink t-shirt over dress: 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:
about 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 thirty-two

it's a very canadian night tonight around here. The Husband is watching a hockey game, and i've got a bubble bath date with miriam. sorry, i'd write more, but i don't want to keep her waiting.

*****

today's look while stepping away from the internet for a night:

grey t-shirt under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
grey tie around waist: also donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
beaded bracelets: mix of some donated by my friend vanessa dewson for this project - thanks! (free) and some from smart set ($5 for a set)
black flats: payless, about two years old ($20)

grand total:
about $25.08

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 thirty-one

dear anonymous,

i was driving behind you the other day. you were driving a white sedan. you were driving very slowly despite the fact that we were both on a back road in what feels like the middle of nowhere. you were driving very slowly despite the fact that the posted speed limit is 80, and no one would have caught you if you went faster. for some reason you were driving many notches below the speed limit. maybe you were old and just out for a nice afternoon drive. maybe you were looking for an address and were worried that you might miss it if you drove faster. maybe you had a fight with your wife earlier in the day, and you didn't exactly want to rush home at that moment. i don't know what your reasons were. all i know is that i wanted to get home quickly, and there was an annoying solid yellow line and some hills keeping me from passing you. i hate tailgating, so maybe because i wasn't you couldn't sense my urgency. when i played hanna/no hanna, you didn't turn down hanna, and i silently cursed you for it. once in a long while, your foot must have felt a bit tired or you weren't paying as much attention, and you would speed up a little. but then you'd notice and your speedometer needle would return lazily to its comfortable position.

the reason i wanted to pass you and the reason you had me muttering under my breath was because i wanted to get home to see my family. the family i used to have hours upon hours to spend time with. now those hours have dwindled to one-and-a-half to two short hours and when i can't get to them as soon as possible, it gets me a little frustrated. it gets me cursing strangers insulated in cars that can't even hear me. it gets me impatient. so i'm sorry, driver of the white sedan, for silently cursing you. i'm sure you had your reasons for impeding me, none of which were personal. i hope you had a nice drive.

*****

today's look while resting against a tree:

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)
jeans: value village, about a year old ($20)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $130.08

day one hundred thirty

when he's not working or looking after T or washing dishes or digging massive gardens, The Husband is basically a gourmet chef. we pretty much eat restaurant-quality meals every night of the week. take a moment to savour tonight's menu: to start, homemade ciabatta bread with a trio of dips: homemade hummus, tzatziki, and kalamata tapenade. then marinated flank steak fanned over a bed of nutty brown rice. balsamic reduction. sweet shrimp bathed in garlic. sweet and sour red peppers. fiddleheads. dessert: pavlova with rhubarb coulis and strawberries. oh my.

and now you know why i picked a stretchy dress.

*****

today's look while licking my plate:

white sweatshirt over dress: stitches, seven months old ($7)
jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)
brown shoes: aldo, four years old (about $40)

grand total:
about $77.08

day one hundred twenty-nine - part two

amazing...i got another generous donation for my project today! thank you SO much to the person who donated. the donations are what keep me going. i am always so excited when a donation comes through. it makes this project worthwhile.

just a reminder if anyone else would like to contribute to this project all you have to do it click on the paypal link at the top of the page or email me at wardrobedresstruction@gmail.com. it's an amazing cause, and there are only a few weeks left...

day one hundred twenty-nine

i was downstairs doing laundry with tenzin this morning when the big stroller folded up in the basement caught his eye. he immediately made it quite clear that we would be going out for a walk. never mind that may had practically turned to winter overnight and it was barely above zero. never mind it wasn't even yet 9 am. i pulled out the winter coats (once again) and the mittens (once again) and off we set.

the beginning of the walk was fairly good, although brisk in both speed and temperature. we both pulled our hoods up over our heads and nicknamed ourselves the two hoodwinks. we were out on an adventure. like a ferret on a mission, my peripheral vision sensed a shiny object out of the corner of my eye: ah yes, the first beer can of the trip! i grabbed it and slung it into the bottom of the stroller. we walked along, up hills, down hills. i felt some rocks in my boots. i took my boots off and shook them out and continued over the next hill. we'd grabbed a couple of apples as snacks on our walk, but since the cold made mittens necessary i had to stop about every 20 seconds to feed tenzin a bite since mitten wearing and apple eating do not make easy friends. at one point we developed a bit of a rhythm: walk a few steps. stop. offer a mouse-sized bite of apple. walk again. beer can! throw it in the stroller. walk a few more steps. another bit of apple. you get the picture.

after a few more repeats of the pattern, i once again sensed pebbles in my boot. i stopped and dumped them out. as i was bent over, i glanced up and saw a sign stuck to the gate of the property i happened to be stopped in front of. it read beware of dog. great. i took my chances - the pebbles were really sharp. i inspected my soles for holes. there were no holes in my soles. this led me to wonder exactly what type of gait i have adopted that allows pebbles to just launch themselves into my boots? this combined with the fact that i was wearing underwear two sizes too small (hey, it's laundry day) made for a bit of an uncomfortable combination.

to distract ourselves from the cold, the pebbles, and the unfortunate choice of undergarments, we played spot the car/truck/tractor. it worked for a while until about halfway through our walk - about 45 minutes from home, i might add. all of a sudden tenzin decides that he wants out of the stroller. now. he let me know this by squirming furiously and yelling down!down!down! now i wasn't about to let a toddler walk down a tiny crumbling road shoulder while attempting to push a stroller for 45+ minutes. no way, not gonna happen. i offered another bite of sweet apple as a distraction. no dice. let's look for cars again! that worked for a bit, but the squirming would just resume after a couple more minutes.

the half-eaten apple got tossed from the stroller. the mittens got ripped off and tossed out of the stroller. funnily enough, whenever a car/truck/tractor did pass, he was suddenly calm as could be, extending a freezing tiny purple hand in a friendly wave to the drivers as though nothing was up. nope, nothing going on to see here.

it was getting to be a bit of a long walk. at one point i was pushing the stroller diagonally to get it through the sandy crumbling road edge while stopping every now and then to quickly scale the small ditches and retrieve faded dirty beer cans. i wondered how bad it is that i leave the pop cans, coffee cups, and other refuse and only clean up the garbage that is worth money. i decided it is not bad at all.

nearly home, i spotted our neighbour coming up the other side of the street walking their dog. i willed him not to cross to my side of the street lest he glance in the bottom of my stroller as see that it was filled with disgusting used beer cans. he obviously caught the esp message and stayed put. we were nearly home. the stroller was squeaking something fierce. i wondered if the people sitting quietly in the church across from our house could hear the grating squeaks as we wheeled by, alternately yelling and squirming in frustration and then happily smiling and waving at cars and their passengers. squeak squeak downdowndown ahhhhhhhhhhhh...the soundtrack of our walk was varied and cut noisily through the mostly quiet air.

at last we reached the driveway. we both cheered, each happy for our own reasons to be home. just two hoodwinks back from another adventure. happy mother's day.

*****

today's look while warming up:

grey sweater: secondhand (free)
green sequined t-shirt under dress: american eagle, two years old ($15)
striped socks: zellers, a year old ($5)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $145.08

day one hundred twenty-eight

i'm always excited to hear about new music. this post is for my sister. i agree with her 100% about early tracy chapman. classic. here's a small sample of what i'm currently into:

* band of horses: i love love love this band. they are one of my absolute all-time favourites. i love the sound, i love the lyrics. i love that you can hear the lyrics over the music. one of my pet peeves is when you can't actually decipher what the lyrics to a song are. this music takes me to another place. perfect for daydreaming. i am beyond happy that they have another album coming out this month.
* she and him: love their sound and, again, the lyrics. perfect saturday afternoon listening.
* gnarls barkley: great albums. original sound.
* fleet foxes: they sing about squirrels. they sing about goats. never heard anyone like them before. these boys can sing.
* adele: one of the best female voices ever.
* feist: she's canadian (you should know by now my love of fellow canadians). everyone's heard of her by now, but i still love her sound. i listened to her a lot when i was pregnant.
* broken bells: i was recently introduced to their sound and really dig it.
* meiko: mellow music. the album we have isn't long enough.
* brad sucks: the original one-man band. extremely talented.
* the eels: i like them so much, my son is named after the lead singer. some of the best lyrics around..
* esthero: another canadian. she's original. great voice. one of the few concerts i've gone to. the whole time i was saying 'this is my favourite esthero song' until she'd sing the next one and the game would start all over again. waiting for a new album - it's been way too long.
* the mummers: their music makes you want to run away and join the circus.

also, tenzin started singing along with me tonight when i was putting him to bed. he's one of the best singers i've heard in a while. you can't help but smile when you hear him sing, so he deserves a special mention on my list.

*****

today's look while movin' and groovin':

green top under dress: gift that my sister made for my birthday last year (free)
jeans: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
green crocheted hat: value village, a year old ($4)
brooch worn on hat: jacob, about four years old (about $15)
brown boots: zellers, about six months old ($20)

grand total:
about $39.08

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 twenty-seven

i just came across a couple of articles about one of the latest trends in asia: couples matching their outfits to one another. now that would be an interesting twist on this project. maybe i'll have to get a couple more brown dresses whipped up so The Husband and i can get the trend started over on this side of the world.

you heard it here first.

*****

today's look while now picturing The Husband in a dress:

blue turtleneck: old navy, about two years old ($15)
flowered top over dress: t-shirt i reconstructed from garage sale, a year old (50¢)

jeans: value village, about nine months old ($20)
purple bracelet: donated by anne williams for this project - thanks! (free)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $145.58

day one hundred twenty-six

you know that game where you are tagged and have to reveal random facts about yourself? i'll tell you some of mine if you tell me some of yours...

1) about 90% of my time is spent daydreaming. unless i am immersed in a conversation with someone, my mind is likely somewhere else. i pretty much live in a fantasy land.
2) i have learned to never say never. almost every time i have thought that i'd never ever do something, i end up doing it.
3) i communicate best in writing. i wish all communication could be done in written form because it gives you time to think about what you want to say before you say it.
4) a couple of years ago, i found out that at one point we had lived on the exact same street as two terrorists that were involved in the london bombings. you know you live in a bad neighbourhood when: your backyard is an alleyway, local wildlife is a stray dog who comes begging for ham, your back door gets attacked with a hatchet, your garbage gets set on fire, the neighbourhood kids pelt passersby with rocks...and your neighbours are terrorists.
5) i am pretty non-judgemental. to each his or her own, i say. do whatever you like as long as you're not hurting anyone.
6) i love handmade things. i love the time, energy and creativity that goes into handmade items. i am particularly obsessed with knitting: things others are knitting, things i am knitting or want to knit next. i read blogs about knitting and get books out of the library about knitting.
7) i was the one who proposed. 30% of me wishes it was the other way around but the other 70% thinks it's kind of kick-ass and other girls should get over their hangups and go for it.
8) i really love dogs. so much so that when i was stopped by a sniffer dog in an airport once, i actually said "cute puppy!" and tried to pat it. don't try that. it doesn't go over very well.
9) i have never known what i wanted to be when i grow up.
10) i have always felt drawn to new york city ever since i was really young. i don't know why this is. i have never even visited there but fear that if i do, i will want to move there and never leave.
11) i really don't like having my picture taken.
12) i still get a little weirded out that i live in the country. it took moving to the country to realize that i am more of a city girl. but it's not too bad. ideally, i'd like to live half time in the city and half time in the country. they both have their advantages.
13) i am extremely self-conscious and always thinks it shows.
14) one of my foremost passions is books (and reading). i love the tactile feeling of books and their pages, and love how words and composition can transport you to another place. i judge books by their covers. it's an important part of the selection process to me.
15) perfectionism kind of freaks me out. quirkiness and individuality are so much more interesting, relatable and genuine to me. unless you are performing surgery - then be as perfect as you like.
16) i am 34 years old, and i still watch the hills. eesh. at least it's the final season.
17) i love garage sales and thrift stores.
18) i cannot dance. i will not dance. i do not do dancing.
19) i feel that luck is on my side. amazingly, somehow things just seem to almost always work out well for me. hopefully i didn't just jinx myself.
20) i drove a tank once. a real live tank. no, not in heels. it was really fun, but i was paranoid the whole time that i was going to knock my teeth out because that's what the guy said could happen if we didn't drive it properly.

*****

today's look while still wondering more about you:

black top under dress: liquidation world, about six months old ($5)
green t-shirt around waist (modified by me): thrifted, can't remember details
smaller green tie around waist: from dressing gown (free)
black dress under dress: old navy, about two years old ($30)
black ruffled platform shoes: if footwear, about a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $145.08

day one hundred twenty-five

my brain seems to be made up of the sieve type of grey matter lately. how else could i have forgotten to mention one of my other all-time favourite authors in yesterday's post? i remembered about her late last night, but i'll be damned if i was actually going to haul myself away from the clean sheets enveloping my body. by the way, there aren't many things better to me than line-dried sheets that smell of nothing but spring air. but anyway, back to miriam. yeah, that's her name: miriam toews.

if you haven't read her yet, you must go out and borrow/buy at least one of her books, and then you'll probably become hooked like me. and they have great covers, because bad as it is, i often do judge books that way. i actually had to restrain myself from reading all of her books at once so that i can get them out of the library and have them as a treat once in a while when i need to be guaranteed a good read. i started with a complicated kindness (which just happens to be the canada reads 2006 winner). i was lucky enough to find this book at a garage sale for about twenty-five cents. twenty-five cents! apart from clean fresh-smelling sheets, garage sales are right on up there with things i love. no, make that garage sales with amazing books for dirt-cheap. but i'm getting off topic.

a boy of good breeding has the best character name i've seen in a while, summer feelin'. oh, and i already have pretty much an entire screenplay for that book sitting in a deep corner of my mind, complete with the absolute best-fitting soundtrack ever, you know, just in case miriam ever somehow slips into my head and decides she wants me to produce a screenplay for her. now that i have some time on my hands again, i'm going to go and get all of her other books. i will definitely have to purchase them all at some point because i know without even reading all of them that i will love them all.

oh, and she's canadian. i think i definitely have a thing for canadian writers. we definitely produce some good ones.

*****

today's look while making a library list:

blue t-shirt over dress: liquidation world, about eight months old (about $10)
jeans: liquidation world, about a year old ($3)

grand total:
about $13.08

day one hundred twenty-four

let's keep this game going...today i'm moving on to books. what is on your bookshelf? what do you wish was on your bookshelf? are you a bookstore person or a library fiend? (i fall into the second category). here's a roundup of just a few of my favourites:

* the winner on my bookshelf so far goes to lullabies for little criminals by heather o'neill. gritty, original, canadian. loved every second of it. winner of and shortlisted for many awards including canada reads in 2007. this is my ultimate favourite book.

* twelve by nick mcdonnell: i happen to like books about violent drug-addicted teenagers.
* a piece of cake: a memoir by cupcake brown: don't let her name fool you. same description as above.
* a million little pieces by james frey: fiction, non-fiction, semi-fiction, i don't care. loved every minute and the sequel my best friend leonard.
* prep by curtis siddenfeld: the perfect coming-of-age novel in all of its awkward glory.
* julia and julia by julie powell and the know-it-all by a.j. jacobs: i like people who challenge themselves to the extreme.
* for a shot of true genius, anything by david sedaris or augusten burroughs.
* for some light laughs, anything by anna maxted or sophie kinsella.

that's just touching on it. my favourites invariably seem to be about raw, dirty street life. i like fiction and non-fiction. i don't have a preference. i'm just happy to have some time to read again. got any recommendations?

*****

today's look while hoping for some good recommendations:

army green jacket: giant tiger, about two years old ($12)
jeans: value village, about a year old ($20)
striped top under dress (not visible): value village, about nine months old ($7)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $149.08

day one hundred twenty-three

if there was such a thing as an internet psychologist patrolling the internet, i'm fairly sure they would diagnose this site as suffering from a bit of an identity crisis. i suppose it's technically a bit of a fashion blog since it revolves around my two-dress project, but i don't consider myself very fashionable and the only reason i'm taking my picture every day is because i have to as proof. but then i go and write about life stuff even though it's not really at all related to what i'm doing. to top that all off, i went and got myself a nice bout of writer's block, so i've decided to take sngz's great suggestion from the comments yesterday and write about sites that inspire me. some i check daily, others i like to save up and catch up every week. hopefully you'll return the favour and tell me about your favourite inspiring sites so i can get addicted to them too and kill a couple more hours that i don't really have checking them out. here goes...

the recent leader of the pack with her own paragraph, the gold star of websites on my must-see daily has to be awarded to the uniform project. sheena is hands-down the master of creativity and fashion. she inspired me beyond belief with her year-long dress project - which sadly ended just this past friday - but she has great plans up her fashionable sleeves, and i can't wait to see what's in store next. luckily there are plenty more inspiring people out there...

here are the rest of my must-reads (with links) in no particular order:

fashion/crafty types:
makeshift: i've written about her here before. this fellow canadian is handmaking all of her clothes for an entire year. truly intriguing.
new dress a day: i've also mentioned this site here before. this girl is making also making a new outfit every day for a year...on a strict budget of $365 for the entire year.
grosgrain: so many talented seamstresses out there! this lady sews an abundance of beautiful outfits and literally gives them away for free. i haven't been lucky enough to win one yet, but hopefully someday...
katie did: again, beautiful handmade things of all kinds can be found here - usually modeled by her beautiful children.
forty-sixth at grace: amazing photography, poetic site.
angry chicken: this lady sews, cooks, writes, she does it all. and is entertaining to boot.
made: another amazing sewing site full of modern ideas.
the purl bee: the nyc shop's site that i am dying to buy some wool from sometime in this lifetime.
brooklyn tweed: he's a man and he knits. what could be cooler?
the sartorialist: the master of fashion photography. captures everyday street fashion in a way no one else can. his images make you want to move immediately to paris. or new york. or wherever.

interesting individuals:
the end mark: got to give a shout-out to steve who inspired this post! i really like his laid-back style and his writing. plus he's a big fan of canadian musicians! (sorry, forgot for a moment that you hate the exclamation mark...)
the girl who: i've followed her for years. she is also a huge inspiration. she's another reason i'm doing this dress project. she's just all-around amazing and one of my favourite reads.
thunder pie: husband of the girl who. i've never read writing like his anywhere else. this man needs to write a book books.
dooce: call her a mommy-blogger, love her or hate her - i think she's great. she says it like it is which makes her alright in my books.
city wendy: a fellow redhead with a knack for making everyday life interesting.
the bloggess: too funny for words. the kind of girl you wish you could hang out with for a few hours.
judysquared: i introduced her to you when she won my contest. this girl is seriously talented when it comes to textiles. that, and aren't blogs just that much more interesting when you actually know the person behind the writing?

foodies:
smitten kitchen: i don't check out food blogs as often as i used to since The Husband has morphed into a gourmet chef over the past couple of years. but smitten kitchen can always be counted on for great ideas and gorgeous photography.
sweet fine day: see above. this site is drool-worthy.

that's not even the half of it! i spend a good portion of my free time poring over strangers' lives. again, please let me know who your favourites are. spread the love!

*****

today's look while giving few people some well-deserved recognition:

white t-shirt under dress: smart set, about three years old (about $10)
white skirt under dress: the dump (free)

grand total:
about $10.08

day one hundred twenty-two

so far, this website has been a whole lot of me, me, me which, frankly, is a bit boring. what i am dying to know about is you! who are you? how did you find this site? what is fun and unique about you? what makes you tick? what do you like to do? wear? eat? listen to? read? go ahead...tell me something - anything - about you. i would love to know more!

*****

today's look while wondering who you are:

green necktie worn around waist: donated by my dad for this project - thanks! (free)
green corduroy pants: secondhand (free)

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

day one hundred twenty one

one of my most memorable fashion moments stands out simply because it doesn't actually involve any clothes at all - unless a birthday suit counts as some sort of outfit. a few years ago, The Husband and i were in london, england. there was a store that i really wanted to go to so we went to the neighbourhood where it was located, but it was early and the shops weren't quite open yet. i remember it was rush hour. we were just taking our touristy time just walking down a road while commuters rushed past us on their way to work. one of the people that passed us stood out from the rest. it wasn't just her stature, but rather the fact that she was completely stark naked that made us and everyone else who passed her do a double-take. in retrospect, i was a little surprised i didn't stare harder at the beacon of nakedness that sailed right past me. it's actually such a bizarrely out of place thing to happen that you actually just tend to quickly glance while your brain is only just registering the fact that no, indeed that 300-pound woman that just passed you on a busy london sidewalk was not wearing a speck of clothing. from the look on her face, she did not look a) high on crack b) drunk as a skunk or c) like a lady of the streets d) recently attacked or e) (most surprisingly) slightly uncomfortable with the whole scenario, although chances are, she must have been at least one these things. well, either that, or she was just really, really warm.

season after season, designers past and present try to shock us with their runway fashions. they try to create drama and excitement and turn their creations into showpieces. but nothing could ever be more memorable to me than a naked lady walking nonchalantly down a busy london street during morning rush hour.

*****

today's look while remembering a funny moment:

purple dress over dress (dyed by me): donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
wood bead necklaces: stitches, about three years old (about $5 for set)
black ruffled platform sandals: if footwear, about a year old (about $110)

grand total:
about $115.08

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