a random post-project day

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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-six

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-three

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

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 fifty-six

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

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-one

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

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

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

*****

today's look while gearing up for the finale:

purple dress? super-sized t-shirt? nightdress? under dress: the dump (free)
jeans: value village, a year old ($20)
butterfly-print scarf worn on head: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)

grand total:
about $20.08

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

day one hundred forty-six

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

*****

today's look while getting lost in the dark:

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

grand total:
about $20.08

day one hundred thirty-five

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

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

*****

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

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

grand total:
about $65.08

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

day one hundred thirty-four

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

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

*****

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

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

grand total:
about $30.08

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

day one hundred twenty-nine - part two

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

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

day one hundred twenty

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