day one hundred seventy-five

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 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 fifty-nine

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-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 forty-two

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

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

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

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

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

*****

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

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

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

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

day one hundred thirty-eight

dear Husband,

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

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

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

xo

*****

today's look while getting all mushy:

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

grand total:
about $160.08

day one hundred thirty-six

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

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

*****

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

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

grand total:
about $125.08

day one hundred thirty

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-seven

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

you heard it here first.

*****

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

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

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

grand total:
about $145.58

day one hundred twenty-three

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*****

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

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

grand total:
about $10.08

day one hundred twenty

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

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

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

*****

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

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

grand total:
about $155.08

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

day one hundred nineteen

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

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

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

*****

today's look while feeling a little nostalgic:

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

grand total:
about $110.08

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

day one hundred eighteen

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

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

there will never be enough time...

*****

today's look while taking it all in:

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

grand total:
about $22.08

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

day ninety-one

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

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

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

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

*****

today's look while tripping clumsily down memory lane:

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

grand total:
about $110.08

day ninety

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-eight

yesterday we didn't have a full-fledged monkey living in our house. today was a different story.

it appears that overnight, likely during the r.e.m. stage, tenzin was encountered in a dream state by whoever it is that teaches little babies how to grow up before you very eyes. (maybe that explains the outburst?) apparently this very helpful being taught him advanced climbing 101. gee, thank you oh-so-helpful teacher. apparently, tenzin was awarded an instant master's degree plus a gold star and an a+++ for superior effort and a job well done. how else can it be explained that overnight without any intervention from The Husband or me that he can all of a sudden climb furniture? on his own. up and down and up and down and up and down.

i'm sure this enterprising being has a wide assortment of tricks stashed high up in his extra long sleeves that he is just itching to teach my little boy the next moment i have my back turned. as long as they don't involve too much more monkey business, we should get along just fine.

*****

today's look while being a cheeky monkey:

blue turtleneck under dress: old navy, about two years old ($15)
retro city of guelph tie worn as belt: donated by my dad for this project - thanks! (free)
red beaded necklace: gift from a former coworker (free)
long corduroy skirt worn under dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
brown knee socks: sears ($8)

grand total:
about $23.08

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

day eighty-seven

last night my head hit the soft down pillow. i was out like a light, lying on my side or maybe my back. my mouth was likely open and maybe exhaling a (hopefully small) snore or two. the white duvet was pulled up to my chin, and i was off in another place. i was off in la-la land dreaming a strange or fantastic or average dream. and then, with one slight sound from the other room - a single cry - i was jolted awake.

no no no no no no no...don't wake up don't wake up don't wake up...

i literally stopped breathing, convinced that the whisper of one slight exhalation of breath would travel through the thin wall and onto the other side, and it would all be over for me. i would have to slide out from under my warm duvet, step out of my dream vehicle and onto the cold floor and enter the room beside to comfort a small boy from whatever it is that wakes small boys in the middle of the night.

i let out a tiny breath. instantly, another single cry rang out from the room beside and hit me upside the head. i stopped breathing again, and the noise stopped.

slowly, i took my chances and dared breath again. a few steady, quiet respirations in and out.

crisis - and wakefulness - averted. this time.

*****

today's look while dreaming about dreaming:

white sweater over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
grey wrist warmers: handknit by me (about $2)
jeans: value village, about seven months old ($20)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
about $97.08

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

day sixty-eight

so today is the final day of what has become my week-long sister-thon. judith witty won my contest for donating the most money to this project a couple of weeks ago and, in return, got her name in lights for an entire week! congratulations again and i hope this will inspire others to donate whatever amount they can. remember, all money raised will go be given to almost home at the end of the project.

and now back to judy, who is well-deserving of such a prize for her generosity. it doesn't surprise me at all that she won my little contest. judy is one of the most generous people i have ever known. she is forever picking up things here and there for me whenever she has the opportunity. she never shows up empty-handed. you have already come to know her as seamstress extraordinaire, garage sale queen, and artist. if you take all of these qualities, mix them up in a blender, and pour them into a fancy (secondhand) glass, you would be handed a generosity milkshake whipped up and topped off with a cherry by my very own sister. she goes to clothes swaps and brings me bags of things i appreciate and use. she lets me in on best-kept secret places to source amazing bargains. she takes requests and spins them into beautiful handmade items and doesn't charge a dime. i'm sure she won't mind me saying so, but she doesn't have that much extra herself, yet she still found the generosity to donate to my project.

what more could a sister ask for?

*****

today's look while getting some vitamin c:

purple turtleneck under dress: jacob connexion, about three years old ($15)
yellow polka dotted silk scarf around waist: secondhand (free)
red beaded necklace worn as bracelet: gift from old co-worker (free)
purple tights: zellers ($10)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)

grand total:
about $150.08

day sixty-seven

my sister was the firstborn. not just in our immediate family, but the firstborn grandchild of our generation on both sides of the family.

this means she was the only grandchild to have ever met my maternal grandfather. the only one to have laid down and taken a nap on the soft stomach of his golden retriever. the first grandchild my paternal grandmother made beautiful hand-embroidered dresses and dolls for that were sent across an entire ocean. she was the first one any of the relatives ever heard about or met or held. she was the first grandchild of which photos were taken and mailed around the world. the first to get a card labelled "to my granddaughter on her birthday". hers would have been the first name written on the family tree for that generation, planting down roots and making room for new branches that would soon grow.

a lifetime of firsts, really. she paved the way for all of us from second through to eleventh. but no one else can ever be first like she is.

*****

today's look while writing things down so i don't forget:

black long-sleeved t-shirt over dress: old navy, about four years old ($15)
short-sleeved black t-shirt with bow over dress: zellers, about two years old (about $10)
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
striped socks: joe fresh (about $2)

grand total:
about $57.08

day sixty-six

my sister is a woman of many talents. one talent she has that i have always been rather jealous of is her artistic ability. i mean, i'm pretty certain that her eighth grade teacher didn't hold up a picture of a tree that she'd painstakingly painted to the best of her ability and declare it an insult to nature in front of her entire class. no, if my sister had painted a tree, it would have actually resembled a real, live tree. it would have had shading and realistic leaves and everything. it would not have looked like a brown stick with green polka dots stuck to the top and octopus-like appendages hanging from the bottom. (they were roots, sir, roots!)

after high school, my sister took interior design at college. i remember seeing her one christmas and she had painted an amazing colour wheel that looked like it was ripped straight out of the textbook. she had a giant black portfolio filled with sketches in pencils and inks that were so well done they looked like replicas of real photos. she also had made some crazy cool miniature 3D architectural buildings that she'd laboured over for hours. it was all so perfectly executed.

we all have our own individual talents, but for sure, if given the opportunity, i'd trade my dorky flute playing abilities for her artistic ones any day.

*****

today's look while getting some pre-spring sunshine on the other brown dress:

brown sweater over dress: garage, can't remember how old (about $20)
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
winter boots: aldo from last year (about $75)

grand total:
about $125.08