day one hundred forty-nine

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

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

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

*****

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

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

grand total:
about $43.08

day one hundred forty-eight

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

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

*****

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

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

grand total:
about $138.08

day one hundred forty-seven

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

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

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

*****

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

purple dress over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: also donated by kimberly for this project - thanks! (free)
purple bracelet: donated by anne williams for this project - thanks! (free)
black flats: payless, about two years old ($20)

grand total:
about $20.08

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

day 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

due to the rousing endless debate that ensued in my comment section back on day forty-one (...tumbleweeds...) i made the decision myself a while back to delegate haircuts firmly to the non-essential side of the list. after all, it's just hair! this means i can't pay for a professional haircut until july.

hopefully one day my self-cut bangs will forgive me.

*****

today's look while feeling equal parts happy (for my bangs) and annoyed (on behalf of the rest of the mop) that my hair grows fast:

grey top over dress: donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique (details below) for this project - thanks! (free)
jeans: also donated by kimberly's deja vu boutique - thanks again! (free)
necklace: donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks! (free)
black flats: payless, about two years old (about $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 seventy-three

today The Husband and i went for massages. again, aren't you asking, "but isn't that against the rules?" nope, i'm a rule maker, not a rule breaker. (well, most of the time, anyway). allow me to explain.

now, i'm not one of those people that likes being being in the prone position while a stranger runs their stranger hands over my body. ewwww. no, i prefer to remain completely upright and vertical around all strangers and perhaps, at most, carry on a slightly awkward conversation about such fascinating topics as the price of milk these days or why there always seems to be some sort of festive holiday-themed chocolate products for sale in drugstores at all times of the year. but please do not invade my personal bubble.

so the massages took place at a shop that's about a half an hour away from our house. they have a quiet little room upstairs with four of those giant massage chairs set up and plugged in, so we each sat side by side, hit the go buttons on the remotes and got all of our kinks shook, pounded, vibrated, and beaten out of us for a glorious - and free - fifteen minutes.

now say it with me...ahhhhhhhhhh.....

*****

today's look while feeling more relaxed:

purple dress? super-sized t-shirt? nightdress? under dress: the dump (free)
black skirt under dress: made by my sister (free)
black ribbon around waist: found in bag of christmas wrapping stuff (free)
black tights: zellers ($8)
black platform shoes: aldo, two years old ($125)
book of canadian poetry: the dump (free)

grand total:
about $133.08

day forty-one

hmmmmm...is a haircut considered an essential or a non-essential? can't decide. discuss.

*****

today's look while contemplating the crystal gayle look:

green sequined t-shirt under dress: american eagle, two years old ($15)

black cardigan over dress: fairweather about two years ago ($15)

brown pants: secondhand (free)

beaded necklace & bracelets: donated by my friend vanessa for this project - thanks!

brown boots (not visible): zellers, about three months old ($20)

grand total:

about $50.08

day forty

from the moment i first discovered vivienne westwood years ago, i have always been a big fan. hmmm..maybe it's the red hair? there are many, many reasons really, but when i read this, i swooned a little. not buy any non-essentials for six months? holy crap, it's as if she read my blog.

a far-out wish, for sure, but i think it proves we redheads have a certain special connection.

*****

today's look while drooling over fantastical creations i'm not allowed to buy (and could never afford anyway):

white sweater: can't remember where bought, about five years old ($40)
green sequined t-shirt under dress (not visible): americal eagle, two years old ($15)

jeans: value village, about six months old ($20)
brown socks: zellers ($3)

grand total:

about $78.08

day nineteen

i've decided to change the rules. well, one rule. i know i said rules are made to be broken (just not these ones), but as it turns out, i was wrong and rules really are made to be broken after all. i'm changing my mind. i'm indecisive as well as a complete klutz. it's just part of my dna.

so rule number two is outta here. i am no longer allowing myself a personal allowance for non-essentials. i am broke and, upon reflection, i agree that a big point of this adventure is to get use out of what i already currently own. i also believe in the power of the internet, so i am going to have faith that you, the readers, will donate items or accessories you no longer find useful. either that, or you're just going to have to put up with seeing me in the same stuff for another few months. remember, i will give full credit here and a link to your website (if you wish) if you donate something. email me at wardrobedresstruction@gmail.com if you would like to offload anything and see it here getting new appreciation in the future.

i have decided to donate what would have been my personal allowance to almost home at the end of this project.

*****

today's look while not knowing if i'm coming or going:

beige sweater over dress: winners, about nine months old ($9)
jeans: stitches, about four years old ($30)
brown boots: zellers, two months old ($20)

grand total:
about $59.08

the rules

the rules are short and simple (kind of like me):

1. there are only two dresses for this six-month challenge: the dresses are identical, but one is long and one is short. i will wear one of these two dresses every day for the duration of the project.
2. i have a very nominal personal allowance each week for nonessentials. and when i say nominal, i mean terribly cheap and in canadian currency. i will decide whether or not i will spend this money on accessories or additional clothing items or if i will save it up. regardless, i will be wearing the same basic dress every day and can only add extra items to it.
3. any items that i wear with the dress will preferably be currently owned, secondhand, donated, or free, or, if in a state of desperation, saved up for with my allowance budget. 
4. i will donate any and all money raised to almost home at the end of the project.