The little things

Sometimes in all the crazy that is life it is important to take a time out, smell the polish and remember what makes it all worth while......... professionally manicured toes and hot coffee from Starbucks.

Tessa enjoyed her first pedicure yesterday as part of a girls day out with my mom and sisters. I have been thinking about taking her along for pedicure day for a while now but for one reason or another I hadn't done it yet. We had such a special fun time I wish now that I had done it sooner!

After pedi's we had lunch and did some shopping at Washington Square. Going into Pottery Barn to look for a teapot for mom made my house look dingy :P I hate that store LOL!

I didn't buy anything apparel wise while we were out......but that isn't to say that I have been exactly sticking to my diet. My offenses include: two shirts from Urban, three pairs of pants and a sweater from Old Navy, and a pair of boots from Target.

Damn you end of season clearance!

Do I feel guilty? Maybe a little, but not as bad as I thought I would. I am starting to realize that the lesson I should be learning from all this apparel dieting is not that I have too much clothing. I don't think that's possible. But rather that my apparel purchases should be made with much more care. I am realizing that in the past I would walk by something cute and say to myself "I need that! It's so cute!!" What I should be asking my self is the following:

Is this in my budget?

Does this fill a need in my wardrobe?

Does this fit with my personal style? (at this point I should mention that I am famous for buying stuff that isn't really my style in an attempt to force myself into new style. Which never works. I am boho chic to my core. No matter how fab my sisters look in their urban chic clothes.)

Do I have anything in my closet to wear with this?

If I can answer yes to these questions then I shouldn't feel guilty about purchasing.....in theory.

All in all I am happy. I don't feel defeted, but rather more enlightened. I plan to continue on my diet, every one cheats on a diet now and then right? :P

Month 3 and counting

CAUTION! The following post savors strongly of bitterness and self pity, proceed at your own risk :P

So December 1st marked the third month that I have been following the apparel diet. So far so good! Not to say that I haven't been sorely tempted but budget constraints (damn that mortgage) and the holiday season, rushing towards us like a speeding freight train, made it easier to resist. I won't say it wasn't painful, because it absolutely was, just easier to resist. OK so I didn't resist the Star Wars sweater from H&M, but come on people it was a Star Wars sweater!!

Now Christmas is staring us in the face, giving us that look that says "got you again!". The tree is up and decorated. The house isn't exactly throwing up Christmas, darn that budget again! The gifts have been purchased and wrapped, some hand made even! I find myself with free time. Am I making cookies? Taking my kids to look at Christmas lights? Nay friends, I am instead chained to my computer taunted by my inbox which is brimming with advertisements for the retail sales meant to draw in those last minute shoppers. My brain tells me to resist, but like a moth to a flame I click on link after shinning link browsing the sales.

I haven't bought anything........yet. Laying in bed the other night I actually considered starting a work out routine for the same reason. Hey if I loose weight I will need new clothes! But in the end I decide that I don't have any work out clothes and I am forbidden to buy any so there you have it. ( at this point I would like to point out how sick and wrong it is that I am considering getting healthier ONLY so I can buy new clothes) Today I have been pounding the Almond Joys in what I am convinced is a subconscious attempt to put ON weight so I will have to buy new clothes. I should probably seek some sort of professional help :P

I find myself hoping that I am getting gift cards for Christmas.

Thus far a success, though barely......

Today is a grayish and gloomy Monday morning. As I type these words I am proud to announce that my dishes are done!

No but really as I begin the third month of my "apparel diet" I admit with a smidgen of pride that I haven't broken my diet. That being said it has been MUCH harder then I expected, and even at times a little depressing. At every turn I am confronted with things that I would like to add to my wardrobe.

Shopping for everyday household items has become a full scale assault on my willpower. This is probably because we do SO much of our shopping at Target, but hey, stuff is cheap there. As I stand there, possible apparel purchase in hand, a sea of thoughts and emotions crash over me. The first thought is always "is it really cheating, who would know?". Followed immediately by a wave of guilt and shame that is always successful in making me put the item back. I walk away and the thoughts continue to swirl in my brain, a tangled knot like so much yarn after a kitten. I pick up a thread and try to examine it.

"Why can't you put your family first? Is having pretty things so much more important then keeping your family on budget?"

Of course not.

"Then why is your wardrobe so important?"

I want to look nice! I don't want anyone thinking I am a slob.

"So that is the answer, your vanity and pride come before the needs of your family"

NO! That's not what I said! It's not wrong for me to want to look presentable!

"Your current wardrobe is more then sufficient to accomplish that goal."

I know it is.....but.....

"But what?"

I don't know.

And that's as far as I ever get in unraveling my obsession with clothes. Phaw, maybe I need therapy. I mean who feels this way about clothes and shoes, coats and scarves. Have you ever seen confessions of a shopaholic? You know the opening scene when she is talking about how she feels about stores and shopping? Yep that's me, that's exactly how I feel. Thank the good Lord I have enough restraint not to go THAT nuts :P

I have to say that when I started this I had no idea how deeply this would affect me. I really started this thinking" eh, one year I can do it no sweat!"Maybe I was in denial of how much my clothes really meant to me. BTW I did watch all the Spring 2011 ready to wear shows on Style.com I couldn't help myself. I did stop reading Vogue and Nylon, that just makes me want to buy stuff.

At the end of the day I don't feel liberated, I just feel sad. I miss new things. I am jealous of my friends and family when they go shopping. Even before my diet I didn't need to buy anything, just the act of shopping with friends made me happy. Maybe a better choice for me would have been to reexamine how and why I shop, as opposed to going cold turkey. But given the thoughts and emotions my diet has brought out, maybe this was what I needed after all......

one week down, 51 more to go......

I have made it seven days without buying one thing for myself!!! Man it was a lot harder then I thought it would be, temptation is everywhere. Even Daden's choir practice is only 5 blocks from both Urban Outfitters, and Anthropology my two favorite stores. Not to mention this really cool inexpensive jewelry store that I have heard raves about. I didn't even get to go there before my diet started :( *sniff*

But in some cases I surprised even myself. For instance today, as I was shopping at Target for some upcoming birthday parties (yeah, they are tomorrow, that's how I roll) I remembered that Erin and I had decided to wear black long sleeve shirts under our Halloween costumes. I don't own a black long sleeve. So I immediately changed directions and headed to the apparel section. As I stood there $10 t-shirt in hand two thoughts floated through my head:

"Hey it's only $10! And it's for my Halloween costume so it's not really cheating right?"

"I don't need this! I won't ever wear it again, I never wear long sleeved tees. I should just borrow one from my sisters."

I am extremely proud to report that the latter though won out and I left Target without a black long sleeve tee! I was a little shocked at how quickly my brain said "hey it's only $10 bucks, and you need it!" When really, I don't need it. I have NO need for it at all! I am hoping that in this year I can retrain my brain. No more wasting money on stuff I don't need!

It's going to be a long 51 weeks........

Do I need to go on a diet?

So I have been hearing about it more and more. The newest thing in diets. It grabs my attention every time, and I am forced to mull it over in my brain. And every time I come to the same conclusion. I think I need to diet.

It's called The Great American Apparel Diet. You can read about here: http://www.thegreatamericanappareldiet.com/

Basically it means no buying for one year. Nothing. No new purses, coats, cardigans, jeans, or shoes. Most people are excluding socks and undergarments. I mean you pretty much can't go with out those if they honestly need replacing. There are as many reasons for joining the movement as there are people in it. Some wish to reduce their carbon foot print by consuming less. Others wish to get their budget in check. Some are in protest of the gluttony of consumerism that has gripped the world today. Each reason is personal, each is valid.

But why does this intrigue me so? Is it the challenge? My husband thinks I can't do it, and I admit that part of me is scared that he is right. Which opens a new train of thought: am I so obsessed with my wardrobe that i can't go a year with out buying something new? It's not like I don't have enough to last me a year, far from it. The idea has spurred me to take an honest inventory of my closet. I have included it here:

T shirts: 44

Sweatshirts: 27

Jeans: 21

Pants: 4

Skirts: 18

Shirts: 45

Jackets: 27

Coats: 4

Scarves: 20

Shoes: 46

Tank tops (layering): 18

Sweaters: 22

Shorts: 12

Dresses: 26

Purses: 5

I think I can make it. Who's with me?