wardrobe dresstruction

a random post-project day

2010-07-27T19:51:00.000-04:00

i used to be the biggest procrastinator ever. it's 8 pm on a school night and i have an entire anthology due first thing tomorrow? sure, let me just get started on that! it's my best friend's birthday today and they live in a different city? that's why there are courier services! i need to read an entire book and report back on it to you in two days? thank goodness for coles notes! it's just how i used to get by. sometimes the procrastinator bug sneaks up on me still but hey, i work well under pressure. plus i've dealt with it for years and have learned how to work all that extra stress and frenzy to my advantage.

all this is to say that i totally understand the procrastinators out there. so when i got another donation for this project three weeks after the six-month project had come and gone, hey, i totally got it. sometimes life - and its more exciting aspects - get in the way. and if it weren't for the procrastinators out there, we wouldn't get lovely little unexpected surprises. see? procrastinating can be a good thing.

so thanks, my friend. better late than never indeed.

update!

2010-07-17T10:12:00.005-04:00

yesterday was a special day for me. i visited almost home to drop off the cheque! i met and caught up with the house manager, the lovely laurie morgan, who is pictured here at the left with tenzin and me.

before we arrived, i got a strange feeling. it felt like drunken butterflies had somehow become trapped in my stomach. i couldn't quite pinpoint the exact cause, but the thought of returning to the place i hadn't visited in two years kind of made me nervous. if i'm being completely honest, i was worried i'd experience an embarassing flood of emotions since that is where i spent three of the hardest weeks of my life. the flashes of memories i have of that moment in time are a confusing mess of emotional opposites: scared stiff mixed with comfort, tears mixed with hope, loneliness mixed with elation. but the constant in all of that was the place that gave me what i needed at the time - almost home.

as it turns out, there was no need for my nerves. as soon as i walked through the familiar bright yellow door and saw the warm smile on laurie's face, i was immediately put at ease. the happiness i felt in reaching what i consider the real official end of this project filled me with a feeling of accomplishment. the past few months of personal self-challenge and sacrifice was all worth it.
i - we - really did make a difference.

and as i walked down the stairs away from the amazing home with the bright yellow door, i set the butterflies and the past free...

*****

have you been wondering about the dresses? the shopping? the ugly betty hair? the blog? here goes...

1) no, i haven't worn the dresses. will i ever? it's looking doubtful at this point, but i can't quite bring myself to get rid of them. i believe it's something to do with a symbolism of sorts. their future is still undetermined as of yet. i am just grateful to be able to wear whatever i want again, especially considering the weather here this summer has rivaled the hotness of jordan catalano circa 1994.
2) yes, i've been shopping. as with the great vegetarian experiment of 2009 whereby i still get excited when i eat meat of any kind, my shopping desires have been a bit insatiable. i must constantly physically stop myself from doing it. something about deprivation just sends me into sensory overload when i am able to return to my old habits. i have recently been banned from internet shoe shopping.
3) i finally took my embarassing self-cut bangs to the hairdresser a couple of days ago. ~~ugly betty has left the building for now at least.~~ after washing out my blowout from the other day, i realize that after waiting over a year to cut my hair and paying $30+, i now apparently have the exact same ugly betty style but two inches shorter all over. the hairdresser was very nice, however, and told me my bangs weren't actually that bad - although when i asked how much she charges for just a bang trim, she says it's free since she'd rather do it herself than have to fix a botched job. uh, lesson learned. from now on, scissors are for sewing, making cool paper projects and all non-hair-related activities.
4) and finally, what about the blog? its future, like the dresses, is still a bit undetermined. i have never had an audience for my writing before. i might go somewhere else incognito or i might come right back here when i'm ready to write again. it might be tomorrow, it might be a year from now. hey, what can i say? if you know me at all, i'm indecisive. woman of mystery, yeah that's me.

what i do know for certain is that The Husband can rest easy: i am hailing this as the official end of the extreme personal challenges segment of my life. amen.

day one hundred eighty-one...the final day!

2010-06-30T22:10:00.000-04:00

yay! i made it! today marks the end of a long six-month journey. what started off as a fun and slightly frivolous project turned into more than i ever could have expected. i've definitely stepped out of my comfort zone more than a few times...

if you take a look at the total box, you will see that wardrobe dresstruction raised $1305 for almost home! a special thank you so much to the person who pushed me over that last milestone today...amazing! i will be heading to kingston very soon to give them the grand total.

a final thank you again to everyone out there who supported this project with money, clothes, interviews and encouragement. you kept me going and showed me that what started out as a little project could turn into something amazing.

and i have to say an enormous thank you to everyone at almost home - the reason why i started this project in the first place. you provided a home for me when i needed it. you provided comfort, necessities and a place of warmth and generosity. what you do is amazing. i will never be able to fully thank you enough. i hope this project will help towards keep it going for others when they need it most.

you never know where life will take you.

and now - at last - time to get un-dressed...

*****

today's look while saying a final farewell to my dresses:

it doesn't really matter what i'm wearing or what it costs...

day one hundred eighty

2010-06-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

wow wow wow...words are not enough...i can't repeat how touched i am by everyone's extreme generosity. just when i think it's all said and done, you go and surprise me with a new total! thank you so much to all of the people that donated to this project today!

i knew the promise of a few rounds of kumbayah would get you all hot and bothered.

so this is the last you'll be seeing of the long brown dress. it's officially going into retirement tonight. if you ever want to visit, it will be taking up permanent resident in the back left corner of my closet in a few short minutes. it's probably not the most dignified end to a life that has brought me so much more than i ever expected, but i'm happy to let it go. i will be sure to glance at it fondly every now and again and remember all the good times we had together.

one more last wear of the short dress tomorrow, and then this project comes to an end...

*****

today's look while bubbling over with excitement:

white skirt under dress: the dump (free)
yellow scarf around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) 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 seventy-nine

2010-06-28T20:34:00.000-04:00

you people are amazing! the total just keeps going up and up! thank you so much to the person who contributed today. you guys are just making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. i could never have done this on my own.

i can't believe it, but there are only two more days left if you want to contribute. yes, i've already surpassed the goal, but every bit really does make a difference. almost home is an incredible place that's obviously close to my own heart, but i want them to be around for all the other people who will need them in the future.

*****

today's look while asking for a last-minute boost:

t-shirt over dress: secondhand (free)
jeans: liquidation world, a year old ($3)
orange beaded bracelet: donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $83.08

day one hundred seventy-eight

2010-06-27T20:29:00.000-04:00

to my fellow 401 travellers today:

- to the guinea pig suffering from rigor mortis in the middle lane: okay, i know you weren't really a guinea pig, but you sure looked like one. sorry, but whatever you were, you didn't have a chance...
- to the police car that didn't stop me when i was in front of you going 130: thanks for not giving me a ticket. (especially since you were going at least 150 after you passed me).
- to all of the transport trucks, pickup trucks, construction vehicles and school buses: thanks for entertaining my two-year-old in the back seat.
- to tenzin: thanks for sleeping for half the time. and not crying. and for the dance party. and the singing. when you were singing that one high-pitched duet with prince, your voices blended seamlessly.
- to the truck with the ridiculous racing stripes, the porsche, and the five other cars that nearly cut me off going across toronto: you're obviously making up for what you lack in other areas, if you know what i mean. i didn't give any of you the finger, but i was shouting at you really hard in my head. i hope you heard me.
- to the girls with the massive sorority sticker across your back window: you probably should have spent a little less time talking and more time looking at the road. but you both had really nice hair and sunglasses.
- to the person driving 80 in the fast lane for quite some time: there were a lot of people that were really really annoyed by you. yeah, you were pretty oblivious.
- to all of the cities i drove through besides toronto: thank you for not being as chaotic as toronto.
- to the city of toronto: thanks for not being a parking lot despite the g20. you had me worried, but you pulled through for me after all.

*****

and, most importantly, to the person who donated today:

thank you so much! it was so generous of you! i'm beyond grateful as always. check out the new total...

*****

today's look while spending even more time than usual in the car:

white t-shirt with hearts: secondhand (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 sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $99.08

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 seventy-seven

2010-06-26T13:42:00.000-04:00

the total is like a little kid - it just keeps growing! pretty soon it's going to be all embarassed to be seen with me and asking to borrow the car...

i'm a little late announcing it, but the friday generosity trend continued again this week! thank you so much to the person who donated...your contribution put me above and beyond my goal...amazing!

only four more days to go...the sky's the limit...

*****

today's look while sneaking around surprising people:

black t-shirt under dress: old navy, about four years old ($15)
black dress under dress: old navy, about two years old ($30)
material around waist: recycled from a secondhand t-shirt (free)
butterfly-print scarf on head: donated from kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)

grand total:
about $45.08

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 seventy-six

2010-06-25T15:00:00.001-04:00

i was listening to the radio the other day and heard an ad for a mattress company. so what, right? well, apparently they have a pillow expert. is this an actual job? does this person have a business card that actually reads "pillow expert"? i wonder if there is a secret place somewhere in the world that has a pillow school that hands out pillow expert diplomas.

it's probably the same place you go to learn to be a magic carpet rider.

maybe it's just me, but don't you just know when a pillow is good and when it's not? some people prefer a firm pillow, some prefer soft. some prefer feathers while others prefer synthetic fill. some like a small pillow while some like a full-on body pillow. don't you just try them out until you find one you like?

i imagine that in this particular store, you walk in casually looking to set yourself up with a new pillow because the one you currently own is too firm/soft/ratty/lumpy. you are approached by the pillow expert who leaves a faint trail of stardust in his wake. he offers you a tray of gnocchi and marshmallows (his favourite snacks). like a fine storyteller, he explains to you the origin of the hand-picked duck feathers that were bred in an exotic-sounding country specifically for you to lay your head on. he pulls out charts outlining the quality and thread-count of each pillow. you are amazed by the intricacies of the pillow world that up until this point you were completely oblivious about. you buy the perfect pillow hand selected by the pillow expert and go home and feel like you are sleeping on a cloud.

at least that's what it better be like. last time we bought new pillows, i flung my head into each one while they were still on the shelf, and The Husband actually lay down on the dirty store floor testing them out.

fine, point taken. this is the last time i will mock the pillow expert.

*****

today's look while wishing i owned a magic carpet:

flowered dress over dress: remade by me from a skirt donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
green tie around waist: from dressing gown (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 sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $99.08

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 seventy-five

2010-06-24T20:38:00.000-04:00

it's been a little round of interviews here in the past little while! today, my interview with the perth courier newspaper was published. click here to read all about it...and look at the beguiling face of tenzin.

yes, he wears the pants in this family.

i can't help but repeat how grateful i am to everyone who's supporting this project. you keep me going. we should get together sometime soon and sing a round or two of kumbaya. the countdown's on...only six days to go...

*****

today's look while getting my message out:

grey t-shirt under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
necklace: donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free)
silk liberty of london scarf worn around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:

about $80.08

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 seventy-four

2010-06-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

i stopped buying women's magazines a couple of years ago. i used to buy them all the time, and i'd hold onto them for years. when it came time for decluttering, i'd throw everything out except my magazines. i saw them as a snapshot of the times - the clothes, the stories, the issues. but after a few years, i noticed the trends. they were just so annoyingly predictable.

i haven't picked up one of these magazines in months, but i can pretty much guarantee that any given magazine currently on the racks has titles on the cover like "how to look cool while beating the heat!", "get your body beach-ready in less than a week!", "ten products that will keep you gorgeous all summer long!", "painless swimsuit shopping!", "fake tanner minus the smell!".

lies! lies! lies!

if i had a magazine, i'd tell it like it is. my magazine would be called get real and would have headings like "it's damn hot outside, and chances are you are going to look like a wet cat by the end of the day", "no one will be looking at your juicy lips when you smell like that", "the last time you went swimsuit shopping and enjoyed it you were five. some things never change.", "melancholy reads for the anti-beach set", and "fun things to do rather than getting peed on at the local pool".

hey, sometimes reality bites.

*****

today's look while being bratty:

brown skirt over dress: kilborn's, seven months old ($45)
black tie around waist: found in a bag of wrapping paper (free)
beaded necklace worn as bracelet: stitches ($5 for a set)

grand total:
about $50.08

day one hundred seventy-three

2010-06-22T19:59:00.000-04:00

today, i'm going to steer you on out of here and over to the end mark...

steve (the lovely writer of) approached me recently to do an interview about this project. i happen to like steve, so i said sure. he's been a great supporter of this little endeavour, and one day he ~~might even~~ will work for interview. if you want to learn more about the cause and effects of this project, the fashion goings on, the fundraising, and the dresses themselves, you should definitely check it out.

think you already know everything? then go over there and check out some of steve's writing.

because i said so, that's why.

*****

today's look while getting all bossy:

blue silk scarf around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $80.08

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 seventy-two

2010-06-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

i have never been good at traditional math. i liken math to a foreign language that i will never understand. i remember one specific incident when i was in grade three and we'd been given a math test. i had no idea what to do, so i thought the teacher would appreciate a lovely pencil drawing on the page instead of some badly-done long division. i drew a robot out of geometric shapes, you know, all art-with-an-ode-to-math style. i put a lot of effort into the drawing. as it turns out, my teacher didn't appreciate it at all and i was reprimanded. this didn't exactly endear me any further to math.

but when it comes to my own version of math, i excel. for example, i can translate my day today into math and come out with the right answer:

1 morning stomachache + 1/2 cup of coffee + 2 pieces of raisin toast + 1 peed-on dress + 1 long day + 1 summer solstice party + 2 plates of food + lots of happy kids + 1 tired kid 1 1/2 hours late to bed - not much night left = 1 very tired me.

see? i can even do fractions. but maybe you'd rather i just draw you a picture instead.

*****

today's look while contemplating implications derived from the effects of quantum physics:

jeans: value village, a year old ($20)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $100.08

day one hundred seventy-one

2010-06-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

a couple of days ago, i came across this article. it's so hard to give credit where it's due because i am kind of voracious when i'm on the internet. it's all, first i'm just going to check this site for a second, but then i'm invariably grabbed by the hand and led off to another site, and two hours later i'm sitting hunched over the laptop squinting, contorted like a pretzel, and can't even remember what i was doing on the internet in the first place because, you know, there are interesting things beyond this square glowing object. (that was a convoluded note to self. must ignore the internet more and reacclimatize to reality. and stop interrupting so much. ugh. it's bad-mannered and annoying).

where was i again?

oh yeah, the summer of dresses. i love this idea! go figure. dresses are just so easy and comfortable. there's no matching to do - just add some accessories - or not - and you're done. there was a full year when i was a little girl when i refused to wear anything but dresses, even though in my daydreams i was a wild tree-climbing tomboy.

so just as my six months of wearing certain dresses is coming to an end, i won't be ignoring dresses altogether...just these particular ones.

*****

today's look while wishing a happy day to all the amazing dads out there:

white t-shirt under dress: smart set, about three years old ($10)
green silk tie around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) - thanks! (free)

grand total:
$10.08

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 seventy

2010-06-19T21:13:00.000-04:00

i am beyond words...check out the new total! this one was an extra-special donation in that it clinched my goal with just under two weeks to go! thank you so much to the person who donated today. i am amazed and grateful to everyone who is helping keep me inspired on a daily basis. there are lots of you out there.

now, there's no limit. i'm just gonna see where this goes from here...

*****

today's look while getting butterflies:
blue t-shirt over dress: liquidation world, about a year old ($10)
jeans: liquidation world, about a year old ($3)
bracelet: handmade by me out of recycled zippers (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)
purple headband: made out of a recycled t-shirt (free)

grand total:
about $93.08

day one hundred sixty-nine

2010-06-18T20:08:00.000-04:00

i am pleased to announce that the inadvertent but lovely new-total fridays are still on a roll! i came home tired, but a generous cheque in the mailbox put a smile on my face. thank you so much to the person who sent that in. look at the new total!

today is also a special day...it's my amazing sister's birthday today! happy birthday, judy xo

*****

today's look while enjoying my day the positive way:

jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)
vintage blue ribbon around waist: thrift shop (about 10¢)
silver bracelet: secondhand (free)

grand total:
about $30.18

day one hundred sixty-eight

2010-06-17T20:14:00.000-04:00

i can't get enough of this relaxation thing. no really, i actually can't get enough. i think the other day must have been a fluke. i just always seem to have my head at least two steps ahead of what i'm actually doing at any particular moment. and that is why i am writing to you tonight from a hammock. because everyone - even people like me who can't do math - knows that hammock = relaxation, right? it's as though the holes were designed specifically to help drain away the worries of the day....

so i should be feeling pretty relaxed, right?

sure, except for that subtle but always-imminent feeling that i might fall onto the ground at any moment. this could be partly due to the fact that i am sort of sitting upright in order to type, so i haven't quite achieved the (literally) laid-back feeling i'm after. also while you're over there, i can't reach my drink. plus there's the fact that i am right now serving as a human appetizer to a bevvy of bugs - but i think everyone's heard just about enough of that out of me this week.

i think this was a better idea in theory. apparently relaxation appears to require quite a lot of effort.

*****

today's look while trying to achieve a zen-like state:

black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)
beaded bracelets: a mix of some from smart set ($5 for a set) and others donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free)
grey material around waist: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)

grand total:
about $35.08

day one hundred sixty-seven

2010-06-16T20:13:00.000-04:00

have you been wondering how the dresses are doing lately? it's nearly their six-month birthday! they are just starting to show a little wear and tear at this point, but they've held up remarkably well for the abuse they've taken. right now, the long one has a few minor stubborn spots that just won't seem to come out. they are the result of a full head-on collision hug from tenzin to me one night after dinner had been eaten but hands hadn't been washed. sorry, dress, but the hug wins every time. the dress is to the mosquito as the hug is to me.

rainy days like today are good because then spots can at least pass for raindrops.

both dresses are starting to fade slightly, but i guess we all do a bit as we get older. overall, they're doing quite well. i was asked recently if i will ever wear the dresses again once this project is done. i thought about it, and the answer for now is leaning heavily towards idon'tthinksoanytimesoonthankyou. i might even swear off all brown items for a little while. but at least if i ever change my mind, my loyal dresses will be there waiting.

they've put up with a lot - but they've given so much more in return.

*****

today's look while pondering the yonder:

pink cashmere sweater over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
white skirt under dress: the dump (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $80.08 (palindromes are cool)

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 sixty-six

2010-06-15T21:07:00.002-04:00

do you see the total growing over there in that box to the right? people, you are coming through for me once again! the final push to the finish line is nearly here! i received another amazingly generous cheque in the mail tonight. thank you so much to the person who sent it through. (and word is, there's another one on the way...)

again, my goal at this point is to raise that number up all the way up to $1000 in the next two weeks. if there is any way you can help me reach it, i would be more than grateful. you know, you could be like one of my best friends or something. no amount is too small and it's all for an absolutely amazing cause...

*****

today's look while getting exceptionally excited:

flowered top over dress: handmade by my sister (free)
jeans: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) 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 sixty-five

2010-06-14T20:06:00.000-04:00

please don't take this personally, but you're really starting to bug me. i know you can't help it. i might even be leading you on a bit, wafting past you trailing the alluring smells of dinner that my husband cooks each night. but then you get too close. you sit with your arms on my back or my neck or my leg. and then i feel the horrible zap through my skin.

you bit me...and now i want revenge.

it's a close race. i swat at you, but you keep lunging back at me. i try a spot of shadowboxing. you win the rodeo prize for sitting on me the longest without letting go.

but in the end, i always win.

take my advice: there are much better birds out there for you to chase.

*****

green tank top over dress: can't remember origin, a year old ($30)
jeans: donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $110.08

day one hundred sixty-four

2010-06-13T19:55:00.001-04:00

do you hear that sound? it's the sound of me exhaling in a rare moment of genuine relaxation. i feel as though i have been short on time lately and long on things to do. but this morning, i won the child jackpot. tenzin slept in until 10:40 am. it was getting so late, i was reaching the point of wondering if i should wake him up. yeah, i know, dumb idea. sleeping babies and all. so i let him keep dreaming and cleared every item of my to-do list, and do i ever feel better now.

although i usually don't condone such things, if you were feeling so inclined you could practically eat off our floors, they are so clean. dishes were done and put away (by me for once)! thank you notes were written and are sitting in actual addressed envelopes ready to go in the mail. a gazebo was moved and a rather large picnic table dragged into it. some fun was had too - some guilt-free tv watching and lots of playing with t in the short time he spent awake today.

did i ever need that. now i'm off to shower. cleaning up to-do lists is a very dirty job.

*****

today's look while off to make a new list:

black t-shirt: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
green material around waist: recycled from an old t-shirt (free)
zipper bracelet: made by me out of recycled zippers (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 sixty-three

2010-06-12T19:44:00.000-04:00

i want to tell you about something i didn't know about until now. one of my friends, elizabeth, brought it to my attention, and i'd really like to share it with you in case you haven't heard of it either. elizabeth has a friend who urgently needs a bone marrow donor. you can read more about this in a letter she wrote to the local ottawa newspaper here: http://tinyurl.com/38srjfx

she is trying to get the word out about onematch - a canadian registry for blood, stem cell and bone marrow donors. full disclosure: blood and blood-related topics usually get my stomach a little churny. but then i thought about it from the perspective of someone who is in actual need of a donor.

i've signed up and am waiting for my swab kit. for elizabeth's friend and all the other people out there who are relying on the kindness of strangers, please consider doing it as well. you never know, you might just save a life.

*****

sweatshirt over dress worn as a skirt: value village, about ten months old (about $10)
grey t-shirt underneath: stitches, about four years old ($5)
black flipflops: old navy, a year old ($1)

grand total:
about $16.08

day one hundred sixty-two

2010-06-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

it's really late once again. i just got home after being out at another birthday celebration. june is definitely a birthday month around here. i am way behind on emails, late on posting, the list at the moment goes on and on...this will most definitely be a catch-up weekend.

but look at that new total! thank you loads to the person who generously donated! is this becoming a friday tradition? i think i like how this is going...

*****

today's look while chasing my tail:

white sweater: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
blue t-shirt over dress: liquidation world, about eight months old (about $10)

jeans: liquidation world, about ten months old ($20)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

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 sixty-one

2010-06-10T20:03:00.000-04:00

the last thought i had before my head hit the pillow last night was how amazing it would feel to sleep in. ironically, this morning i jolted awake five whole minutes before i was supposed to leave for work. turns out the alarm was set but the sound wasn't. unfortunately one doesn't work without the other in terms of performing the needed function of waking me up.

i bolted out of bed, disoriented and confused. i slapped on some makeup, ran something through my hair, power brushed my teeth, and threw on the first thing i saw in the drawer. i heard tenzin say "mama" on the other side of the wall. i was torn: go in, say hi and leave two seconds later causing certain upset or bolt up the stairs and out of the house before he could see me. i chose option number two and felt guilty about my choice all morning.

i drove to work blanking out several minutes down the highway which is always disconcerting. how exactly did i get from a to c without remembering much of b? without any of the usual caffeine streaming through my body, i assume. i jolted to when i saw a dead deer lying on the side of the highway. that's two this week.

i walked down the road to mail a letter in the afternoon. i was waiting at a light and after a moment realized that i was humming. out loud. great, now i've become a crazy girl who hums out loud in public.

i came home. the sound of gunshots was ringing through the air. where exactly do i live?! i don't think i will ever get used to that sound. i went outside to take my daily picture. tenzin decided to come with me. he thinks it's really funny waiting for the timer to go off and then having the picture taken. so the sound was gunshot! laugh! gunshot! laugh! the poor hunter was likely thrown off his game. oh well, hopefully we saved a deer.

soon it will be time for bed again. another day is winding down. tonight i will still dream about sleeping in, but i'll be double-checking that the sound's turned up this time.

*****

today's look while in a bit of a fog:

green t-shirt over dress: donated by marci bruyere for this project - thanks! (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $80.08

day one hundred sixty

2010-06-09T21:50:00.000-04:00

today is cold. it's the kind of cold that you get in england where it passes straight through your skin and nestles deep in your bones.

one hot meal, one hot bath, one warm sweatshirt and one wool blanket later, the chill has finally gone. it's always strange when june feels like october.

*****

today's look while dreaming of england:

black t-shirt with velcro tab worn over dress (today it spells "one sixty"): next exit, about seven years old ($45)
white skirt under dress: the dump (free)
green hairband: recycled from an old t-shirt (free)brown sandals: aldo, about four years ago (about $80)

grand total:
about $125.08

day one hundred fifty-nine

2010-06-08T20:40:00.000-04:00

dear tenzin,

today you turned two.

it's been 730 days since i first met you. 730 mornings that you have made me smile. 730 times we've said goodnight. 730 days where my heart has nearly burst straight through my chest.

i love it when you wave. when you smile. when you run. when you're free. when you hug me. when you learn. when you try.

you have grown from a tiny newborn to a little boy. you have challenged me. you have made me proud. you have amazed me. you have changed me. you have shown me another side to this big strange world. you will teach me more than i will teach you. you inspire me in so many ways. you mean the world to me.

you are small, but you are strong. you are young, but you are wise. you are quiet, but you take it all in while the big world spins around you.

you have changed. you are changing. you will always change.

i love you for being you. i wouldn't want you any other way. happy birthday, sweet boy.

xo,
mama

*****

today's look while lost for words:

black cardigan over dress: fairweather, about two years old ($15)
butterfly print scarf worn on head: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) - thanks! (free)
silver bracelets: secondhand (free)
jeans: liquidation world, a year old ($3)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $98.08

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-eight

2010-06-07T20:49:00.000-04:00

one of my favourite pasttimes is thinking about what other people are doing right now. like, for instance, at this very moment someone somewhere in the world just:

* was born
* got on a plane to go on holiday
* tried something for the first time
* broke a promise
* met their fate
* committed a crime
* played air guitar
* lost their last penny
* experienced brain freeze
* died
* rode a roller coaster and puked
* made a good decision

or maybe even all of those things in one day.

*****

today's look while wondering what just happened to you:

green top over dress: giant tiger, about three years old ($15)
jeans: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)

grand total:
about $15.08

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-seven

2010-06-06T22:17:00.000-04:00

i've decided that i really should work on my sense of timing. my sense of timing seems to have run off somewhere with my sense of direction. i can't seem to find either of them anywhere. they're probably both hanging out watching me from afar and laughing at me.

i used to have a great sense of timing. if someone asked me to be somewhere at, say 8 o'clock, i would be there right at 8 on the dot. not so anymore. i have completely lost all sense of how long things take to do even if i do the same things on a daily basis. if i am asked how long i will take to do something, my answer usually tends to reflect how long i would like something to take as opposed to the actual time required for me to do it.

some things i can do really fast, like ... (an undetermined time later) ... actually, after thinking that over for quite a few moments, i couldn't think of anything except blinking. not a highly useful skill. on the other hand, there are a magnitude of things that seem to take me forever to get done: washing dishes, making food, anything prior to about 8:00 am. hey, i live in a daydream state.

does anyone have any good tips about how you actually get everything accomplished on time? you know, other than hiring a drill sargeant?

*****

today's look while ranting once again about time:

orange scarf around waist: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
orange necklace: aldo ($10)
red beaded necklace worn as bracelet: gift from an old co-worker (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $90.08

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-six

2010-06-05T23:28:00.001-04:00

wow, this is a very, very late post. this weekend has been filled to the brim with birthday parties and visitors and a whole bunch of fun. and another amazing donation! thank you SO much to the people who donated so generously. i continue to be surprised and thankful to all of the people who are helping me along the way with this project. i am getting so excited to hand over the final cheque to almost home in just a few short weeks!

the little cutie i'm kissing today is my big inspiration behind this whole deal. my goal is now to reach $1000 by the end of june. only three-and-a-half weeks to go...

*****

today's look while partying it up:

flowered top over dress: handmade by my sister (free)
jeans: value village, a year old ($20)
green hairband: recycled from an old t-shirt (free)

grand total:
about $20.08

day one hundred fifty-five

2010-06-04T23:19:00.000-04:00

this weekend is starting off right...another generous donation came in today! i am so excited. thank you SO much once again to the person who donated. check out the box to the right!

*****

today's look while loving seeing the numbers grow:

grey top under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
green top over dress: can't remember where it's from, a year old ($30)
jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)
purple headband: recycled from an old t-shirt (free)
beaded necklace worn as bracelet: stitches (about $5 for a set)

grand total:
about $65.08

day one hundred fifty-four

2010-06-03T20:37:00.000-04:00

one thing i am looking forward to hopefully having at the end of this project is a little more time. just a little. between rushing out to work in the morning to rushing home at the end of the day to rushing around before bedtime and trying to get everything done...well, it all makes me feel like i'm caught in a bit of a whirlwind. each week is whizzing by, and i can barely remember where it's all gone and what i've even done. i try to enjoy the little moments, but i tend to always be thinking about what needs to be done or what i'd like to get done or what might need doing by sometime next week.

i've had a library book out for about five weeks now and i've only read a few pages. i have a sweater that i started making for tenzin back around christmas and it's not even half done. it seems like The Husband and I don't even sit down together until 8:30 or 9:00 each night. and inevitably one or both of us falls asleep about an hour later on the couch. something's gotta change. see? that guy who invented time really is my nemesis.

speaking of which, we have company coming this weekend for a certain little person's birthday, so there's cleaning to be done, a shower to be had, and some final party preparations to be done. if only i could find a few extra minutes...

*****

today's look while wondering if it will ever all get done:

striped top under dress: value village, about ten months old ($7)
jeans: donated by coral sproule for this project - thanks! (free)
pink scarf worn on head: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $87.08

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-three

2010-06-02T21:03:00.001-04:00

so, i've been thinking a lot about style lately. and generally how i don't have much of one at the moment. my sister and i were having this discussion the other day. there are some people you come across that just clearly have a particular sense of style. you can almost tell what their personality is just by looking at them. (although you should really never do that. judging a book by its cover and all.) anyway, i would like to have more of a distinct style once the whole brown dress is not part of the deal every day. i'm just not quite sure what style it is that i am after. i tend to be very indecisive. how do you decide this or are some people just born with it? any suggestions?

*****

today's look while wishing coco chanel was my fairy godmother so i could just raid her closet:

black cardigan: fairweather, two years old ($15)
purple t-shirt over dress (dyed by me): secondhand (free)
red beaded necklace: gift from an old co-worker (free)
purple headband: recycled from an old t-shirt (free)
jeans: stitches, four years old ($30)
brown sandals: aldo, about four years old (about $80)

grand total:
about $125.08

day one hundred fifty-two

2010-06-01T20:32:00.000-04:00

random thoughts from today:

* it is actually malarky that a watched pot never boils. just this morning i watched. and it boiled.
* my wrist has been quite sore for the past couple of days. i'm fairly sure it's due to some previous nerve damage, but i kind of wonder if it's from those cartwheels i was doing the other day.
* if you hurt your wrist doing a couple of cartwheels, does that mean you're starting to get old?
* i wonder if anyone actually ever feels their current age.
* i need to work on my patience level. i get anxious if the computer isn't fast enough, but i still count on my fingers, so it's still faster than me.
* is 34 too old to still be counting on your fingers?
* when it comes to superpowers, i'd rather be able to fly than have x-ray vision.
* the person who invented time was, in my opinion, probably really smart but also likely annoying about it.
* he probably didn't count on his fingers.
* what???????? is up with this?

that's all.

*****

today's look while swinging around:

black dress under dress: smart set, about two years old ($30)
bracelet made by me out of secondhand zippers: (free)

grand total:
about $30.08

day one hundred fifty-one

2010-05-31T20:40:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-30T15:05:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-28T07:44:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-27T19:53:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-26T20:16:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-24T19:47:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-22T19:45:00.001-04:00

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

2010-05-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-20T19:41:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-19T20:15:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-18T19:54:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-17T19:53:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-16T20:32:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-15T16:46:00.001-04:00

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

2010-05-14T20:02:00.002-04:00

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

2010-05-13T20:06:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-12T20:08:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-11T19:41:00.002-04:00

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

2010-05-10T20:57:00.002-04:00

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

2010-05-09T20:06:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-09T13:46:00.002-04:00

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

2010-05-08T20:01:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-07T19:52:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-06T20:18:00.001-04:00

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

2010-05-05T19:49:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-04T21:25:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-03T20:28:00.001-04:00

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

2010-05-02T19:51:00.000-04:00

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

2010-05-01T21:29:00.001-04:00

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

day one hundred twenty

2010-04-30T20:34:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-29T20:02:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-28T19:58:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-27T22:14:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-26T19:51:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-25T19:46:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-24T19:54:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-23T19:49:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-22T19:56:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-20T22:04:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-19T20:12:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-18T19:58:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-17T19:49:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-16T16:26:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-15T20:56:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-14T19:53:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-13T19:49:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-12T14:19:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-11T13:11:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-10T20:37:00.015-04:00

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

2010-04-09T21:05:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-08T12:58:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-07T11:53:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-06T16:03:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-05T12:13:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-04T12:11:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-03T14:00:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-02T12:11:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-01T20:09:00.001-04:00

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

day ninety

2010-03-31T20:32:00.001-04:00

the well-known saying is that march comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. here where i live, this year march decided to stick its tongue out at tradition and rather came in like a lamb, had a twist of lion, and morphed straight back to lamb just in the nick of time. as the last remaining hours of march float by on a mellow spring breeze, i am wondering to myself where in fact march went. it flew by so fast, it's all kind of a blur. luckily, i've kept some records. this month, my dress and i:

* announced the winner of my first-ever contest and put her name in lights for an entire week
* went shopping - but didn't break the rules
* got some unexpected media attention: listen here, read here, and see here
* tried to stir up some excitement about the pale trend i plan to start this summer
* met a fantastically generous shop owner who hooked me up with practically a whole new wardrobe
* stopped breathing
* inherited a monkey

i am also happy to report that i received a record-breaking five extremely generous monetary donations this month which i am so grateful for. thank you to everyone out there who is helping out in any way with this project. if you're new to the site, i am raising money for almost home in kingston. again this month, i'm asking if you could please do me a favour and email/facebook/twitter my website to just a few of your contacts? i'm already amazed at how far my message has travelled and want to raise just as much money as i can for this amazing charity.

and finally, today marks my halfway point of this project! so far, i've worn 90 different looks using my two dresses, written 90 blog posts, taken 90 self-portraits, and received countless words of encouragement, donations, and unexpected gestures of kindness. thank you to everyone who's supporting me! you're keeping me inspired.

*****

today's look while crossing over the halfway mark:

pink sweater over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
brown pants: secondhand (free)
brown socks: secondhand (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 eighty-nine

2010-03-30T20:05:00.004-04:00

dear anonymous,

you don't know me. i don't know you either. we both know of each other but have never met. nevertheless, you seem like the kind of person i wish i actually knew. i think we'd get along.

did you ever have a penpal? remember those? when people used to actually sit down at a dining table or the corner of their bed or, if they were really serious, a writing desk. they would pull out a favourite pen and jot down their thoughts on a fresh piece of paper or two. then they would take these pieces of paper, fold them neatly in into an envelope, and mail that package full of feelings and soul-barings and current life events to a person - a stranger - who lived a city or a country or a continent away.

now we have the internet which is amazing if you sit back and think about it. but it has two faces. when it's feeling angelic, it can show you people and places you would otherwise have never known existed. it can do great things for amazing people. it can unite and bring happiness and enlighten. but when it's off catching a whiff of the devil, it can show its nasty face. it can lure and weave otherwise good, normal people into nasty strangers who have nothing better to do than mess with others. it can turn the high achievers into the schoolyard bullies.

i know that's what you are struggling with now. but i would have never known of you if i hadn't been led over to the good side. the sweet side where you and your writing reside. and having discovered you, you have inspired a stranger in more ways than you know. i admire you and your honesty and bravery and independence. Please don't let the bullies get to you.

but if you ever decide down the road to chuck it all in, we should totally exchange addresses and become penpals. 'cause like i said, i'm pretty sure we'd get along. and i'd definitely miss your words. inspiring words written by a person i don't really know.

*****

today's look while reminiscing about the good old days:

grey shirt under dress: donated by my sister for this project - thanks! (free)
brown skirt under dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
embroidered tie around waist: refashioned from a t-shirt my sister donated for this project - thanks! (free)
green toque: gifted about fifteen years ago (free)
brown knee socks: zellers ($3)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $128.08

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