Challenge Update: Week 52

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We did it!

Stay tuned to the end for a podcast trailer!

Challenge Rule 1: Buy No Clothes/Don’t Covet

Well. As I mentioned yesterday, Ms. Lily Fields has been sidelined with the COVID this week. So, one good thing about that is that, while covet and COVID only differ by two letters, the one necessarily precludes the other, and I’ll let you figure out which one precludes and which is precluded.

That said, as I mentioned to my sister Poppy the other day, I have added items throughout the year to an “I really need to replace this…” list. When I do finally get out of my isolation chamber (that is, my bedroom, which really isn’t that terrible a place to be, as you can see from the above photo), I will have a date with my favorite thrift store in 2022. I feel like this is just the Fates giggling at me.

Haha! the Fates sing in chorus.
She thought she could just slither back to her favorite thrift store so easily
Let us interrupt her in a way so sneezily.

BTW: I’m fine. I feel like I have a really bad cold. My indulgent husband has been remarkable, as have my scalawags. I sorta feel like I’m on vacation, only I can’t leave my bedroom. And I have gotten a LOT done.

Challenge Rule 2: The Inventory

In my last challenge update, I mentioned I was feeling a bit of letdown that I didn’t get to do an end-of-year decluttering. Well. My current circumstances have made it possible–nay, necessary–to find ways to fill my time. So, I did get to have my little end-of-year decluttering festival, à la KonMari!

Challenge Rule 3: Go-To Catalogue:

Yes, well, while in 2020 I might have gotten dressed up in my Look-At-Me dresses every single day during lockdown, and done my makeup and my hair, I will confess that I have not been doing that during my current isolation (which is why the above photo is all you are gonna see of me until I get outta this mess.) I guess, well, in 2020 I was doing it to make things seem normal for the little ones, as much as I was doing it for me.

Were I to do that right now, I would feel ridiculous. And maybe, for ten days, it’s okay to wear sweats and cozy sweaters. This is when I wish I were a loungewear person. Oh well. Hopefully this will never happen again, and I won’t ever have to spend ten days in my bedroom again. I need not start imagining myself a loungewear person at all. (Did you hear me Lily? Wipe those thoughts out of your head. Right now.)

Challenge Rule 4: Mise en Place/Plan Ahead:

Shall I wear my black sweats or my black sweats? Let me see. Let’s go with the black sweats for a change.

Challenge Rule 5: Repair and Mend, Alter when Necessary:

I have repaired a few pairs of little boys pants while I have been tucked away in my grotto. I hemmed and tailored a dress (oofffff I thought I’d bit off more than I could chew for a second on that on, but it turned out perfectly.) I sewed a few buttons. I haven’t been in the mood to do much else, oddly enough, even though I have one-half of my mega-refashion project nearly completed.

Round-up

We did it, friends! I have spilled quite a bit of virtual ink about the process, and I feel oddly empty about reaching the end of the road. I have thoughts, many thoughts, but none that have coalesced enough to write about.

It’s weird how unexpectedly empty the future looks right now…it’s like when you take the Christmas tree down, and the living room looks suddenly bare and echo-y and strange.

Don’t worry about me. I’ll get over this. Just like I’ll get over my COVID!!

In other news…

Oh, there is news, my friends. THERE. IS. NEWS.

The first two episodes of Sing With Your Feet, the podcast, launch on January 6, 2022! I want to tell you the story of how this all came together, but there’s just too much. Too much. Too much. I’ll tell it tomorrow, in a special article just about how this all came together.

However, as of this morning, on your podcatchers (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and a few others whose names escape me) you will find two trailers–that is, two introductions to the podcast. Please, please, PUH-LEASE give ’em a listen, subscribe and share it with people who might enjoy it.

My status as future podcasting royalty depends on it!