Tuesday, December 14, 2010

30 for 30 Redux by The House in the Clouds

Introducing Fabienne (we are doing a 30 for 30 debrief swap so you can head over to her blog at The House in the Clouds to check out my post too.. she ROCKS!!)



It's been a week since I completed the challenge. The premise was to pick thirty items from my closet, including shoes and jackets, to create thirty different outfits. I found out about it through a friend on Facebook. As one who always appreciates a good challenge, my competitive spirit took the bait and ran. Hard.

Little did I know this would plant the seed that has become The House in the Clouds. I was only looking for a means to document my effort, lo and behold, I also discovered a whole new community. One member of this community is Jodi, of day2daywear. We've agreed to recap and document our experience with the challenge and post as guest bloggers on each other's sites.

I approached Jodi with the idea of swapping posts not for lack of inspiring or eloquent bloggers to choose from. I connected with Jodi. Here was another athletic and yet very fashionable woman, I found her documentation and photography inspiring.

The challenge was exciting! It was easy. And it was hard. About half-way through I started to feel like I couldn't possibly come up with another interesting combination. I wasn't yet ready to throw in the towel, I had to give it everything I had; this created some interesting combinations. Some were lackluster. One in particular provided comic relief. (Beer, anyone?) Others I just fell in love with!

One challenge I encountered was the seasons changing. I could have used a few more sweaters. Oh, but what to swap out? Something else I hadn't really considered was what to wear on those days when a tired gal just needs to wear the equivalent of a hug. Though I may blog in my flannel pajamas they are not suitable for an office job, for which I am actually quite grateful.

Once I got over the psychological barrier of feeling like something was too dressy to be really comfortable, I found that I had done a pretty good job of outfitting myself. My clothes all moved comfortably with me, bending this way and that way at will while quickly regaining their composure. I was also pleased with my choice of footwear, I seemed to have covered all my bases.

Surprisingly enough, I didn't miss as much of my wardrobe as I thought I would. I missed a few key pieces, some favorites I left out for the sheer sake of really taking the challenge to heart. (And yes, it's a personality thing. I often do makes things a little bit harder just for fun.) You'll notice the first thing I did was wear my aqua cashmere cardi. I've worn that sweater so much in the past two years that I'm certain to have justified the expensive price tag several times over. I'm so happy to have it back in the mix! Wait till I introduce it's pink counterpart. Oh happiness!

It also dawned on me how few accessories I have. The first thing I bought was an ochre elastic belt. I never wore belts much before but that's all changed now.

The challenge was a very powerful lesson for me. As I struggled and took delight in each combination, I started a list of things I thought I absolutely must have the minute the challenge was over. The real surprise is that the list did not grow very long. In fact, just having a wish list in my notebook has brought me an awareness I needed to integrate into my daily life. I'm discovering that the urge for immediate gratification no longer holds such a dear place in my heart. I welcome that change.

This is something I'm proud of; taking this leap of faith has created a new channel for my passions and creativity, giving me another way to reflect and share while making new friends along the way. I hope to keep learning, growing and staying inspired by it all.

Actually, I don't just hope. I expect it.


Side note by Jodi :I am going to have to ask Fabienne for some COLOR coaching.. LIKE WOW or what!!! ???  xoxo J

10 comments:

  1. The owl pillow picture is adorable!

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  2. Ooooh, I'm lusting after Fabienne's white blouse (the PERFECT blouse for a flat chested girl like myself to convince the world that I actually have ta-tas!)

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  3. I agree with Kristen, that owl picture is fantastic, and funny!

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  4. what about the BABE with the owl.. pretty hot if you ask me :)

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  5. Creativity is a great thing and it's obvious you grew from this challenge. Accessories and belts can be very useful.

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  6. I think Fabienne's blog was one I bookmarked but never got back to checking out? Thanks for introducing us! Now I shall check out her blog for your recap.

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  7. I love this! Definitely checking out her blog to see your post! :)

    xoxo,jaz
    fashionstatement101.blogspot.com

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  8. CUTE feature...shes adorable:) Off to check her out now!!

    Stop by and say Hello♥

    Enter my FAB Spoil Me Fashion Jewelry Giveaway!!♥

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  9. Cute, cute, cute! I love it! :)

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  10. Congrats on making it through the challenge!!

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