Challenge Rule 1: Buy No Clothes/Don’t Covet
I bought no clothes this week, although I did pick up my new glasses on Friday. I am not going to count those as an “accessory”, since they are necessary. (Side note: in the last six years, my eyes have either improved, or, the eye doctor I saw six years ago had no idea what she was doing, because both three years ago (my last visit) and this year, I was told I was “over-corrected”. Is eyesight improving as we age a thing?)
I do want to say this though: I sure shopped for those new glasses as if my life depended on it. (Consequence, I suppose, of not shopping for anything else?) I mean, I found all the online virtual try-on sites and spent several evenings in the twenty or so minutes I spend in bed before I finally berating myself enough to turn the tablet off trying on a multitude (I have the screen shots to prove it) of new frames.
The good thing was, when it came time, I knew exactly what I wanted, was armed with my references and the actual in-store portion was painless. But, as with every single time I have to change glasses, I regret and miss my old ones.
Challenge Rule 2: The Inventory
Nothing much to report on this front, either. Steadily, steadily my CPW is coming down for the four wear-all-summer dresses. Even the swimsuit I bought at the end of last year got some wear.
Challenge Rule 3: Go-To Catalogue:
I’m going to only say this three hundred more times before my challenge is up: when I am old I will only ever wear white sneakers. Cute white sneakers have made this wearing four dresses (and a cheat day here and there) thing possible, considering that I also need to be on my toes to run after little boys, too. Anything I ever buy to wear again, it will have to go with white sneakers. Therefore, the shoes for every outfit have already been planned out. (This is me making peace with how little attention I have paid to the this rule of the Challenge.)
Challenge Rule 4: Mise en Place/Plan Ahead:
I packed three outfits for the whole week we were gone: my Team Nigeria dress, the black dress that my dad sent me (the one with poooooockets!) and a pair of jeans & t-shirt. Never once did I second guess those choices. Okay, maybe I did, but only to think that I could have done without the jeans. Two dresses for seven days could have done it. That black dress from my dad is the most comfy and versatile dress in the whole world.
Challenge Rule 5: Repair and Mend, Alter when Necessary:
Well now, this is a little bit fun. We visited with some old friends during our trip south, and as the Mrs. of the couple and I share a passion for textiles, she offered me some exquisite peacock teal mohair wool to knit up into whatever my heart desires. Barely home I already had cast on what will be a sweet little winter sweater. I missed knitting. I missed knitting with fine wool, not the stuff I spin, which is a hearty, hefty wool. More to come as my project progresses.
Round-up
The Challenge is plugging along pleasantly. By packing so very very lightly to go to my in-laws’, I felt like I was doing something revolutionary. It was so, so nice to have very few options, because it makes decision-making so easy. In many ways, I wish I didn’t have so many things I love in my closet, because decision-making would be that much easier. But I just can’t eliminate all this stuff I love.
I will have to think about what this means for me next year…I just love not having to make decisions. I will surely need to revisit the Suitcase Method.
In Other News:
As I mentioned yesterday, I have finally heard back positively from the publisher about my novel. Fresh from that motivation, I have decisions to make which will undoubtedly make me look foolish. So be it. I will be foolish while believing that my entire series can find a home and an advocate who is as nutty as I am.
Sing With Your Feet 