Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Go by Twos through Life's Mysteries

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Dress: UO, from The Clothes Horse's closet * Tan skirt: American Eagle, remixed * Wedges: American Eagle, remixed * Necklace: self-made, remixed * Earrings: self-made, remixed

Thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement with my newly-imposed shopping ban. A few of you have asked about the scope of the ban. In terms of "things that are banned", it's basically everything. Clothes, shoes, books (I know, that one kind of pains me, but I have a bookshelf full of things I still need to read, so until my reading list is down to zero I don't need any new ones), music (also rough, since I've gotten in the habit of buying new music on payday - honestly, this is the only category that I might be willing to budge on), extra stuff for the apartment, beauty products (no new nail polish, makeup, etc. until I actually run out of what I have - I tend to hoard). It's really supposed to encompass anything that isn't a necessity for me. I'm making a bit of an exception for events and activities, since that's kind of the point of the ban. I'll be able to do more and experience various things now that I'm not spending all my money on stuff. So I'll be able to go to Milwaukee this weekend to visit friends, since I haven't been spending all my money on new stuff (p.s. if there are any Milwaukee-based bloggers out there, send me an email! I'd love to meet up with some of ya!).

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Most of your questions had to do with length of the ban. How long am I planning to engage in this madness? Honestly, I don't have an end-date. I have enough clothing, shoes, and accessories to easily get through a full year of seasons and styles. I have light summery pieces, heavy wool layers, scarves galore, and more skirts than you could shake a stick at. And I know that there will be trends or pieces that I'll want to get in on, but I'll just have to be content to buck convention and introduce my own trends. I have a closet (or three...) full of pieces that I absolutely love, and I'm excited to become a bit reacquainted with them since I won't be introducing anything new for a while. I'm not saying that I will absolutely not spend a dime on clothes or shoes for a full year. If there is something that I feel would fill a real, legitimate, and important gap in my wardrobe (and if Joe, and perhaps my mom, agree with me on the necessity of filling that gap), I'll make an exception. But for the most part, this is meant to be a lifestyle change. A permanent shift away from spending, so that I can focus on the things that I love to do. It will be hard, of course, because any major shift in lifestyle is pretty difficult, but I feel that it's the best way for me to start reevaluating my life and redesigning it into something more productive, more satisfying, and more ... happy.

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Title song: Buddy Holly, "Think it Over"

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