I have tried to make the most of my first week and a half of freedom. We have done a couple of hikes, we helped some people work on a cabin that they are building. Lills and I had a "girl" day and hung out drinking coffee and doing a little shopping. I planted flowers!!! That is a big deal because when we were with YoungLife, we were always gone for most of the summer so it was never really worth it to make the yard pretty. This year...I have flowers EVERYWHERE! I love it! I am just drawn to be outside reading or playing with the dog or just watching the kids because it is so pretty...and, southern friends, comfortable (think 80 degrees and no humidity)! We built a new flower bed out in our front yard where the grass kept dying and this week I put in a tiny vegetable garden!
My favorite accomplishment, however, is actually doing something that I have been wanting to do for several years...I made a summer capsule wardrobe. If you are not familiar with that, it is basically just a small wardrobe filled with pieces that can be mixed and matched for several different outfits. Everything works together and it forces you to shop more deliberately. I am definitely famous for impulse buying and then having a closet full of nothing to wear! I also tend to keep pieces that I don't really like because I feel guilty for having spent money on them. I also have just come under personal conviction (no judgement here) about shopping ethically...especially fair trade where clothes are not made in sweatshops and the people making them are making a living wage. These clothes can, naturally, be more expensive and so I am trying to be very thoughtful about how I shop, buying only what I need but being willing to spend more to make sure that the clothing is ethical.
That said, while this has been rolling around in my mind for a long time...it was overwhelming to me! This week, I just plunged in and did it! I took everything out of my closet, tried things on purged and purged and purged some more! I went to a couple of second hand shops and found several pieces I could use there (second hand is an awesome way to buy sustainably). Then I made Lilly help me put together outfits and make hard decisions. In the end, I ended up with about 30 pieces in my summer capsule (this does not include shoes or accessories because I ran out of oomph--it also does not include my workout/athletic wear). I would still like to pick up a couple more pieces to really round out my wardrobe...but I am struggling with those last two pieces. Here is my dilemma: I have shopped my closet and I have gone second hand but there are a couple of pieces I have not been able to find either place. I have searched endlessly at places like TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, etc. because I have read that they sometimes have ethical apparel at those places. We have an AWESOME ethical shopping place here that is actually on a truck that moves to different places. It is called Beautiful Uprising and you should totally check them out. I have several pieces from them...but they do not have the last couple of things I am looking for. Whole Foods (crazy, right) also carries a few ethical brands but also does not have the specific things I am looking for. So, that leads me to shopping online...which I am not opposed to...but here is my problem. I am an over forty not so tiny, not modelesque (I may have just made that word up) woman. I really want to try things on! What looks good in the online picture doesn't necessarily look good on me! I know this after going in to a place a few days ago and trying on like 15 workout tops...15...workout tops...and I didn't like ANY of them! So I really want to be able to try things on before ordering, waiting, trying on and then having to send back. I also am a little hesitant because one of the pieces I am looking for has to go with a pair of light yellow shorts...yes, I know I can order white...but I have all the white I need and would like to add a little color, but I am a little afraid when ordering online because the color you see on the pictures varies from computer to computer and, again, I do not love the idea of ordering and then having to send things back because, have you met me...three years to complete my first capsule wardrobe...obviously getting things done, like returning packages is really not my forte! So, if you have any great ideas, suggestion, or just want to send me a personal shopper or some super cute ethical clothing, feel free to call, text, email, send a carrier pigeon, or come visit me. If you visit I can take you to some AWESOME hiking trails!
ANYWAY, who knew someone could blather on that long about a tiny wardrobe! Can you tell that this has been a bit of an obsession for a minute? Next up, once we get the kids out of the house, I want to go tiny living with my house...imagine the blog posts on that! 😜
In other news, we are headed to TN tomorrow! I cannot wait to visit friends and eat some crazy good food and maybe not gain 20 pounds! Please, TN friends and family, do not be offended that every time someone asks what we are going to do, we list all the places we want to go eat...the list is long and there are NOT enough days! So, I guess I should go and finish the prep work. Today involves a quick shopping trip to get Annet a pair of flip flops to replace the ones our dog ate, a trip to Harmon's grocery to get crazy good coffee to share with our TN peeps, taking our dog to my sister and hoping that she is still speaking to me when we get back, and of course, going to the gym because I love torturing myself 6 days a week!
If I am really on my toes, I may even try a blog post or two from our travels!!! Aside from that, I'll probably be back around September!
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