30 for 30 Challenge, or How Not to Go Naked to Work.

It should come as no surprise to any of you that I am a shopaholic.

If you haven't met me, here are the obvious clues:

1. I'm 23 and I'm female.

2. I'm 23, I'm female and I was born in the 80's. We are living in a material world and I am a material girl…

3. I'm 23, I'm female, I was born in the 80's and I live in Chicagoland.

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.

But alas, this material girl has had a lot less material to work with in the last few years. I graduated college, got married and our fledgling money tree has a lot of growing to do. My credit card is maxed, my income is minimal, and my hubby and I are learning to live within our means.

So when I stumbled upon a few fashion bloggers in my ongoing quest for creative inspiration, my clothing obsession hit a whole new level. These girls looked so freakin' cute, but I was sure I didn't have the resources to pull that off.

I was wrong. I've recently become addicted to KendiEveryday, a blog that feeds my fashion addiction but also delivers an important message: 

AFFORDABLE FASHION IS ATTAINABLE.

Don't believe me? Check out Kendi's 30 for 30 Challenge, which I am now participating in. The game goes like this: take 30 pieces from your closet, skirts, pants, dresses, jackets, shirts and shoes. Remix only those pieces for 30 days into 30 different outfits. At the end, you'll have a better idea of the staple pieces that your wardrobe might be lacking, and you'll be less likely to impulse-purchase yet another flowy jersey-cotton top from Target's clearance rack.

I know, it sounds a little nuts. Maybe it is. But here's the reason why we think this concept is nuts, or at least, here's the reason why I thought so:

If you're like me, you're the kind of girl that… approximately every 15 days or so goes to get dressed in the morning and stares into the closet thinking, "I might just go naked to work today."

Because nothing fits. Nothing is bright and shiny and new in there. Nothing matches my mood. Nothing says cutting edge. Everything is old and dowdy and overworn.

Here comes trouble in the form of this one thought, "If only I could make a quick trip to Target or H&M…"

Enter Hubby [or sister, roommate, mom, or boyfriend]: "No way can you afford another shopping trip."

And then one of two things happens, and neither are good.

1. I ignore hubby and buy something anyway, wear it repeatedly for two weeks, and then slide back into my fashion funk.

2. I abide by hubby's wishes, wallow in my fashion funk and look like a slob for several days until I finally do all my laundry, find an item I forgot about because it was buried in a pile for 2 weeks, and begin putting effort into my appearance again.

How is this sustainable living? How is this learning to live within my means and be thankful for what I have? How is this using my creativity in all parts of my life? It's not, it's not, it's not. We're only in our 20s, friends. We're going to be forever broke and miserable if we keep doing this to ourselves. [Sounds a little familiar... like I've heard it in the news recently or something, no?]

Fashion, personal style, is more than just the clothes you wear or the latest item you've purchased. It's creativity, and it's confidence in yourself. And it should be created through sustainable means.

I'm beginning to realize that this is how habits change - by challenging ourselves with our own creativity. Whether it's words or clothes or food or design or dollars and cents, we can only realize our potential when we challenge it's limits. It's how we grow.

SO I'm joining the 30 for 30 challenge. I definitely won't be able to post about it every day, or post cute pics of myself in my ensembles, but I'm doing it anyway. Want to join me? Head on over to Kendi's and sign yourself up!

NO shopping for at least 30 days, and no going naked to work. ;)

Moving Forward

June was a month of many changes. Despite the iTunes debacle, which has yet to be resolved and did yet more damage AFTER my last post, the hubs and I were able to move into an apartment and out of my in-laws place. And the peasants rejoiced! Just kidding. There was much rejoicing, by all involved. I am thankful for the love, support, and heavy lifting everyone did as we made this transition. We are truly blessed with amazing friends and family.

At the same time that I was moving into a new apartment, I got to move into a new office! That's right: all in one month, I started full-time in the position I've been working for a year and a half, I moved to a new apartment with my hubs, and I got my own office. It doesn't get much better than that, but it wasn't an easy month, that's for sure.

I - once again - feel moved by revelations, by an increasing awareness of many different truths, but mostly:

1. "Life is what happens when you're making other plans," Lennon so wisely noted. June was supposed to be our month to save a nice little nest egg before we moved in. The iTunes thing happened at the worst possible moment, making our saving plans impossible. But we survived it. And these unpredictable experiences are a fact of life. So how will we deal with it?

Mario's comment in my previous post is very true: while it's great that Matt and I were able to support each other through a crazy experience, it does highlight our insecurities about money, which can (and does) cripple our ability to make wise financial decisions. It's time to reevaluate our attitudes and how they can affect our future finances.

2. I have no other way to articulate it than this: God's fidelity. If you're not religious or you don't have faith in Christ, please hear me out. 

This is what I've experienced: His provision in all circumstances. 

It's not coincidence; it's too perfect for that. It's not my own doing; I'm not smart enough or strong enough to make these things happen. I just know that whenever I think 'Well, this is the end of the rope - we have no money, no way to make it, etc..." that's when something completely miraculous happens. And it's not what I expect or want to happen; it's a door that opens that I didn't know existed. And it's faithful - unending, never failing, even when I'm sure I don't deserve it.

It isn't blowing out a birthday candle and getting every present you hoped for. It's an unforeseen intersection of what you later realize you needed and what you could not imagine was possible. It's not finding the answer to the mystery; it's learning to be content with it. It's not wearing rose-colored glasses; it's removing tainted perspectives to see what's really there.

Opportunities come along, for us to give and to receive and to move forward, when we thought we were on the wrong side of a brick wall. We may not understand these circumstances for a long time, but choosing to see life for the short, unpredictable, sacred miracle that it is makes it easier to see the truth, in my experience.