Well, This Explains a Lot

Day 90

Well, This Explains a Lot

So, it’s no secret I’ve been struggling to fit into my slightly smaller, but infinitely prettier and more plentiful spring clothes. Most of you will probably agree, the wiser (not older) we become, the harder it is to lose a few pounds. I am trying to increase my calorie burning by adding more jogging, zumba and dancing. I am wondering why it feels like a losing battle when I receive this article from a very insightful friend:

The average woman burns around 385 calories - the equivalent of a piece of carrot cake or two large glasses of wine - trudging around stores each week.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1243119/Shop-till-drop-How-average-woman-burns-48-000-calories-year.html#ixzz1qbY9xRxB

So, not shopping is making me fat??? That’s the way I read it. Here I sit at my computer day in and out, trying to make a buck and be a productive citizen. A fat, productive citizen. Where is the justice? Is there somewhere I could lodge a complaint?

The Museum is Now Pinterest!

Day 88

The Museum is Now Pinterest!

A while back I posted a photo of a pair of shoes that I loved, but because of my no-buy challenge, well—I couldn’t buy. I thought I would create a place (Museum of Lovely Things)

 where I could gather lovely things, even if I couldn’t buy them. Then I found (insert heavenly music …) Pinterest!

If you already know about Pinterest, you are nodding your head thinking, “I know …”

I was looking for a craft idea at one time and a friend said, “Look it up on Pinterest.” I had no idea! Pinterest is indeed a place with lots of ideas but you can also make your own page. Here’s mine:

http://pinterest.com/byebuyclothes/

And for those of you who don’t know, here’s how it works:

1.      You have to sign up to be invited to join unless you get an “invitation” (I’ll be happy to send you one). Pinterest is free.

2.      Once you join, you set up your page. You can add as many “boards” as you like and title them whatever you choose. You can add details about yourself, or not!

3.      There are simple instructions to add the Pin It button to your internet tool bar. Then, whenever you find something on the internet you like, want to share or want to remember, you “pin it”! Pinterest will pull the images from the page and you choose which one.

4.      Every time you select a picture to pin, you choose which board it pins to. When you click on that picture later, you go back to the original web page it came from!

5.      You can look at other people’s Pinterest pages and “re-pin” things that they have that you like. They can also re-pin your things. It’s a community. You can “follow” them, they can “follow” you.  

6.      Using the Pinterest search bar, you can search for almost anything! I’ve looked up recipes, decorating ideas, etc.

Pinterest is like a virtual bulletin board with all sorts of scraps of cool things. For me, by “pinning” things I can’t buy, I can still have them in a way. Sort of a closet you never have to organize and don’t have to pay for.

If you join Pinterest or are already there, let me know! I’d love you check out your boards!

Do I Have a “Reset” Button?

Day 86

Do I Have a “Reset” Button?

For years, my husband has been searching for my “off” button or “mute” button. Today, I am looking for my “reset” button. My wireless router can be reset but jabbing a paper clip into a tiny indentation. I’ve poked myself but nothing is happening.

That’s the point, 86 days in and things have started to slide backwards. I have NOT bought clothes, shoes or accessories, but the progress in cleaning everything up has come to a screeching halt and the prospect of fitting into my lovely summer dresses is dwindling. When I stop to think about it, this is about the time that resolutions and big plans revert to habits as stubborn as the graying strands at my temples. I think this is why the process will take an entire year.

In January, I did a fabulous job sorting and organizing my shoes. Do you know that feeling when your clothes feel loose? That exhilarating “lost a couple pounds” (or just had the flu) feeling? That’s how I feel when I look at my shoes. Lighter. Well, actually I can see the light between them as opposed to when they were in a mass. When I look at the clothes hanging in my closet, I get that uncomfortable “this doesn’t really fit anymore” feeling so it’s time to get back to the plan and clean out the closet like I did my shoes.

In January, I also determined that I would have more clothes to choose from in my existing wardrobe if I could fit into them. I have determined that I am approximately 10 pounds from fitting into almost everything. Sure, a few things will be a little loose at that point, but I can live with that.

Here’s the challenge: I know I have to get back on track and attack this with the same resolve I had in January so I have to “reset”. For my organizing efforts, I am breaking the tasks down into manageable chunks then scheduling them. This week, my closet will be finished. This is on my calendar in indelible ink. I may be scrambling next Sunday night, but it will be done.

Ten pounds won’t happen in a week. I am giving myself 10 weeks. One pound per week. I think this is do-able. I found out that it takes 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat. Then I looked at the typical exercise I do in a week. How many calories do you think are burned jogging for an hour? That’s 60 full minutes on lung-burning, muscle-screaming jogging. 500. That sucks, I thought it would be 1000. It feels like 1000. So I am logging my exercise calories burned to get an accurate picture of what I am actually burning. This also makes me much less likely to eat additional calories, knowing how hard they are to burn off.

So, here we go. The second phase of my year-long challenge, the “reset” has begun. It’s a big lie to state that a habit can be changed by not doing it 10 times, or even 10 weeks. But that’s OK- I’m in this for the long haul.

Are You a Fashion Star or a Runway Star?

Day 84

Are You a Fashion Star or a Runway Star?

It’s no secret that I am FAN-atical about the reality competition show, Project Runway. I have also started watching the new fashion competition, Fashion Star. At a glance, the shows are quite similar; aspiring designers compete weekly for a chance to create their own fashion line. A closer look and two styles of shoppers are revealed.

Fashion Star: Lots of hoopla and window dressing. Music, theatrics and even choreography accompany the fashions. There are touching back stories. The obligatory runway presentation and critique leads to department store buyers who decide if the fashion is store-worthy. Then, of course, you get the chance to purchase the winning designs immediately. This show is very commercial. This show is about the impulse shopper.

Project Runway: Definitely more drama. This show presents challenges each week. The designers do all of the patterning, cutting, sewing and styling themselves. The runway presentation is decidedly subdued. It will be a long time before most of these fashions will be available to us. This show is about the creative process. This show is about the shopper who loves the creativity of fashion.

I think I’m 3 parts Project Runway to one part Fashion Star. I love the creative process of dressing. I am not immune to the allure of the impulse but with all that hoopla—it’s hard to ignore. In the end, I will faithfully watch both shows. But I have to say, when Mondo won Project Runway AllStars this week with his “Therapy” collection, well I felt like he was reading my mind. 

This dress was inspired by a Rorschach Test

This dress sold out at Macy's

Sweatshirt Redeux

Day 81

Sweatshirt Redeux

When you are a full-out, all-in shopper, the world is your mall. You can go almost anywhere and find something to buy. Even clothes. I have a sixth sense for clothes for sale. I have a seventh sense for bargain clothes for sale.

My sixth and seventh senses kick in anywhere, including my favorite grocery store, Kroger. Yes, I have bought clothes from Kroger. Case in point: I have two sweatshirts, one black, one grey. Plain, long-sleeved, hoodless sweatshirts. They were on clearance at Kroger. I do not know why Kroger sells sweatshirts except to boost total sales by people like me. (I can picture the Kroger executives saying, “Honest! There are crazy ladies that come in a buy clothes! They’ll buy anything!”)

I thought I was being very clever to purchase unadorned, basic sweatshirts. Problem was they never really fit right. They are wide in the middle with wonky, ill-fitting sleeves that don’t even push up. I was about to banish them to yet another Salvation Army bag when I had a nostalgic, Flashdance Flashback. I ran upstairs, grabbed my good scissors and went to work!

 The result is not total Flashdance but now the sweatshirt is awesome! It’s perfect when a full sweatshirt is not necessary and flattering for the arms because of the wide arm holes. I wear a colorful tank under and it peeks through in a cute way.  A garment saved by a flashback! Yay me!

To follow-up on the Ugly Dress story: I finally found the second of the 2-for-$50 dresses. It isn’t AS ugly but still ugly. I should never have bought either one.

A final note: Happy Graduation Day Claire! You are AWESOME!!!

One Ugly Dress

Day 79

One Ugly Dress

My biggest weaknesses when it comes to buying are shoes and dresses. I love the ease and comfort of a dress. You can look dressed up yet feel like you are in pajamas. It’s probably not surprising to learn I have quite a collection.

We have been having such beautiful spring weather I decided to rock a dress Saturday afternoon. My legs are winter-white (with the exception of still-mottled spray-tanned feet) so a longer dress was in order. Skimming through my closet, I spotted a dress with tags. Oooo! A never-worn dress! I felt pretty sassy slipping on this soft red print number. There was a good chance I could wrangle a dinner out looking this fine!

I sashayed to the mirror to check myself out and kind of jumped back. My goodness! I looked hideous! On its own, each element of the dress was fine. The bright red color, the ethnic-y print, the forgiving gathered waist style—but together—YUCK! Why on Earth did I ever even buy this dress?

Scary Eyes on My Chest

Cue flashback music … oh yeah … I remember. I was at a summer art fair. Alone. I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I had just participated in “The World’s Largest Zumba Class” in 100 degree heat. I was tired, not pleased with my performance and felt like I deserved something. Up ahead, like an oasis in the desert, was a booth of flowy dresses. Colors, styles, patterns whispering, “You want us. You deserve us. We are buy two for $50.” I took a considerable amount of time to choose my two new dresses. And I felt better.

Fast-forward to Saturday. I will never wear this dress. It is one ugly dress. It looks like two scary eagle eyes looking out from my chest. I am taking note. Do not shop when feeling sorry for self.

Fashion Star

Day 74

Fashion Star

What do you get when you add a reality television competition to an opportunity to shop? Better than Home Shopping Network, you get Fashion Star!  The new television reality series started last night and you can bet I was on the edge of my seat. As a dedicated fan of Project Runway, I would not be viewing this with an open mind. I was pleasantly surprised. It is far more calculated than Project Runway, but completely grounded in the reality of retail.

In case you hadn’t seen an ad for it, the idea is for unknown designers to create a “look to show” with the help of celebrity mentors. Then, a group of department store buyers get the chance to make an “offer” to buy the item to sell in their store. The genius here- the items are available online to buy as soon as the show ends at 11 p.m.! Or, if you could possibly wait, available in stores the next morning. Obviously the show was taped months ago to allow time for production and distribution (but that was interesting, another idea for a show?) but there they were, available to “Buy Now.”

Like all reality competition shows, the idea is to love or hate the contestants so we are shown moving or funny video clips about their lives. Laughter, tears, tragedy and triumph. All there. I already have favorites and I want to support them. Some of the items were sold out by this morning. If not for the Challenge Year, I think I would have actually purchased this from Macy’s (the designer is from Michigan!):

Whoever came up with the concept of this show is a genius. An evil genius. I see it as another karmic test of my will to stick with my challenge. I will, however, attempt to make that jersey tunic from something in my fabric trunk …