Having successfully made it past the first quarter of my challenge, I was feeling pretty good about my progress but after a recent trip to Fourth Ave, I am feeling a little bit guilty! I think that my challenge has taken a toll on the retail industry of Vancouver.....
For the past few months I have taken the advice of the J sisters and avoided temptation as much as possible and for me, Fourth Ave is the ultimate test of will power so obviously I have tried to keep my distance. Unfortunately my yoga studio is right in the heart of Kitsilano's shopping district and so, during my 40 day challenge it has been impossible to avoid. My solution? I never bring my wallet.....and I take an alternate route that doesn't take me past my favorite shops with their enticing window displays. Then one day I decided to test my impulse control and face Fourth Ave head-on......thinking "I can't do much damage without a wallet right?" Well it turns out my challenge has been doing a different kind of damage on Fourth Ave stores. No less than 5 stores that I used to frequent are now just empty storefronts. Is it my fault? Did I put these poor stores out of business with my resolution to stop shopping? Well.....maybe I am giving myself too much credit, but interesting coincidence no?
Lindsay
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
March Gift to myself
Next project? I really have to figure out how to make an adult version of these booties.....so cozy!
Lindsay
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Shopping my closet for Spring Trends
I don't know about any of you, but for me, there is something about Spring that just screams... shopping! And it's not just because I am deprived right now and everything 'screams'.....shopping to me :)
Spring is the time of new life, new beginnings.....and new clothes. Right? Are you with me?
Picture this......the weather warms up, the colours of Spring surround you and sales signs pop-up in all your favorite stores.....now if that doesn't make you want to freshen up your current wardrobe.....then you are crazy!! Talk about temptation.....as if the arrival of a new season isn't enough, my latest daily report from Rachel Zoe reminded me of all the wonderful Spring trends that I will not be able to participate in this year. Or so I thought.....
As I was browsing through the Electric Spring Brights that Rachel recommends, I did a mental inventory of my existing wardrobe and realized that I actually have a lot of the pieces already! So, obviously I went shopping in my closet for cute and easy ways to brighten up my basics without spending a penny!
I discovered that I had 7 items out of the 20 Rachel listed.....that is an impressive 35%!
Then....because I was bored.... I decided to do a little photo shoot to show you what I found.
Check out these *AMAZING* shots and I hope you like my ideas!
Rachel Zoe's 'Bright Ideas for Spring' .............and my version
Lindsay
Spring is the time of new life, new beginnings.....and new clothes. Right? Are you with me?
Picture this......the weather warms up, the colours of Spring surround you and sales signs pop-up in all your favorite stores.....now if that doesn't make you want to freshen up your current wardrobe.....then you are crazy!! Talk about temptation.....as if the arrival of a new season isn't enough, my latest daily report from Rachel Zoe reminded me of all the wonderful Spring trends that I will not be able to participate in this year. Or so I thought.....
As I was browsing through the Electric Spring Brights that Rachel recommends, I did a mental inventory of my existing wardrobe and realized that I actually have a lot of the pieces already! So, obviously I went shopping in my closet for cute and easy ways to brighten up my basics without spending a penny!
I discovered that I had 7 items out of the 20 Rachel listed.....that is an impressive 35%!
Then....because I was bored.... I decided to do a little photo shoot to show you what I found.
Check out these *AMAZING* shots and I hope you like my ideas!
Rachel Zoe's 'Bright Ideas for Spring' .............and my version
 Cool Clutch  Turquoise Gems |
|
 Fun Shades |
|
 Coloured Skinny Jeans |
|
 Graphic Scarf |
|
 Statement Necklace  Bold Belt |
|
* Since sarcasm is often lost in written form....I wanted to clarify that, I know these shots are far from amazing. I am neither a model nor a photographer... but hey....I had fun ok!?!*
So, the moral of this story is......don't just go shopping when a new season rolls in because you feel the need to fill your wardrobe with the hottest trends.......shop your closet first and you just might find that you can make it work with what you have. And if you do decide to go shopping outside your closet I just have one favor to ask......buy something in my honour :)
Lindsay
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Giving up.....
But wait, it's not what you think! Don't worry. I am still fully committed to the stop shopping and start living project....actually I might even say that it has been pretty effortless so far (once I got over the initial hump of course). So what am I giving up on? "The White Bone". It is March's book club selection and it is.....well, let's just say....not my cup of tea. This book is about elephants, from the perspective of elephants....weird, yet kind of intriguing, but as I started reading I must say I didn't really love it. Just like my Dad's fave t-shirt says....so many books, so little time....to me this means, don't waste time reading books you don't love. I gave it the 'Oprah recommended' 100 page try, wasn't into it....moving on....please don't judge me. Guess I will get an early start on April's selection.
Lindsay
Lindsay
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The key to my success so far? Too busy to even think about shopping
I recently noticed that I have been very neglectful of this blog.....but it has been for good reason, I promise! Not only has keeping busy made this project so much easier but also, I wouldn't really have anything to write about if I was just sitting at home all the time. First of all, I want to show off my February gift to myself.....my cute pink toque!
Now, did I need a pink toque? No, not really....but I didn't have to buy any yarn because I had it at home and I really wanted to get back into crocheting before I started making things for other people (like booties for my friends' new baby.....will post pic of those as soon as they are finished). So consider this.....like a practice piece for future crocheting items!
You may remember that one of the motivations for this challenge was to stop spending my money on stuff so that I had more to spend on experiences. So finally after paying off my credit card from the last shop of 2010 I am now able to start doing fun things like play football, go snowboarding and take on yet another challenge.....the 40 Day Yoga Challenge.
Yep, that's right....last week I joined a ladies flag football team and let me tell you, I am not great....but it sure is fun! I admit I was worried at first whether I could throw a football, but as it turns out I really know nothing about football, because at my first practice I learned that I don't ever need to throw it......just catch it, run and don't let anyone take my flag. Ok..... I thought...... this football thing might be easier than I expected. Then, I tried to catch the ball while running. Hmmm...not so easy after all, but it was my first practice so I will only get better as the season continues. Well, hopefully.
I also hit up ladies night at Seymour Mountain with my friend and although it was superbusy we had a beautiful night and it was tons of fun. Did you know that ladies ride free at Seymour on Monday nights from 6-10pm? Such a great way to start the week off!
I have also decided that 2011 must be the year of the challenge because I decided to try the 40 Day Yoga Challenge starting on March 13. The idea of the challenge is simple.....do yoga once a day for 40 days straight, however, sticking to it for the whole time.....not so simple. According to the website;
"Yogic science confirms that it takes 40 days to fully develop a new life-promoting habit or to drop a current destructive habit. The Semperviva Challenge is a great way to strengthen the body, unburden the mind, and begin a daily commitment to yourself."
So I am really hoping that it I can stick to it because those of you who know me well, know that my mind would certainly benefit from a little 'unburdening', as they call it. Wish me luck!
Lindsay
Now, did I need a pink toque? No, not really....but I didn't have to buy any yarn because I had it at home and I really wanted to get back into crocheting before I started making things for other people (like booties for my friends' new baby.....will post pic of those as soon as they are finished). So consider this.....like a practice piece for future crocheting items!
You may remember that one of the motivations for this challenge was to stop spending my money on stuff so that I had more to spend on experiences. So finally after paying off my credit card from the last shop of 2010 I am now able to start doing fun things like play football, go snowboarding and take on yet another challenge.....the 40 Day Yoga Challenge.
Yep, that's right....last week I joined a ladies flag football team and let me tell you, I am not great....but it sure is fun! I admit I was worried at first whether I could throw a football, but as it turns out I really know nothing about football, because at my first practice I learned that I don't ever need to throw it......just catch it, run and don't let anyone take my flag. Ok..... I thought...... this football thing might be easier than I expected. Then, I tried to catch the ball while running. Hmmm...not so easy after all, but it was my first practice so I will only get better as the season continues. Well, hopefully.
I also hit up ladies night at Seymour Mountain with my friend and although it was superbusy we had a beautiful night and it was tons of fun. Did you know that ladies ride free at Seymour on Monday nights from 6-10pm? Such a great way to start the week off!
I have also decided that 2011 must be the year of the challenge because I decided to try the 40 Day Yoga Challenge starting on March 13. The idea of the challenge is simple.....do yoga once a day for 40 days straight, however, sticking to it for the whole time.....not so simple. According to the website;
"Yogic science confirms that it takes 40 days to fully develop a new life-promoting habit or to drop a current destructive habit. The Semperviva Challenge is a great way to strengthen the body, unburden the mind, and begin a daily commitment to yourself."
So I am really hoping that it I can stick to it because those of you who know me well, know that my mind would certainly benefit from a little 'unburdening', as they call it. Wish me luck!
Lindsay
- Side note: If it takes 40 days to develop or drop a habit.....with this logic, wouldn't that mean that I have already dropped the shopping habit (or developed the no-shopping habit.....depending on how you look at it)? Clearly, the rest of the year should be smooth sailing.....well, that's what I will tell myself anyway!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The simple life
With the second month of my challenge almost coming to a close, I must admit I am feeling pretty proud of myself! I am so thankful for the support of my friends and thrilled with the interest in this subject, but the biggest surprise so far has been the differing opinions on the difficulty of the challenge. The women in my life have been in awe of my commitment and ability to give up shopping for a whole year, whereas most of the men have been relatively unimpressed. From my guy friends, I have heard things like....."Good! You don't need more clothes anyway" or "No shopping for a year? Big deal....I could do that easily." I can't help but wonder why there is such a gender division when it comes to opinions about shopping? So I started to think about why I shop.....here are my top reasons for shopping:
Need I go on? The point is that women have so many more reasons to shop than men. So of course the women are more understanding of what it takes to give up such a big part of my life for a year! They don't like shopping anyway, so it would be easy to stop, right? I know there are obvious exceptions to this, but I remember reading a study in my undergrad Geography and Gender class entitled "Men buy, Women Shop". In a nutshell, the study showed that, generally speaking, men shop when they need something and would rather be in and out as quickly as possible, whereas women are more likely to enjoy the experience. I have definitely been on my fair share of mission-based shopping expeditions (you know the type.....I need a flowy, floral print shirt that buttons up and has short sleeves, in green or purple and I can't spend more than $40....then I wonder why I am disappointed when I don't find it) but I also know that some of my best finds were from aimless outings where I wandered into a cute shop on a whim only to find my new fave sweater. Hmmmmm, now that I think about it.....those are also the kind of outings that result in buyer's remorse....maybe us girls could learn a thing or two from the guys. Think about how different our wardrobes would look if we only shopped when we needed something and only bought what we loved....not to mention how easy it would be to get dressed in the morning! I think that is the other reason women find this challenge more impressive than guys. Have you ever thought about many options women have compared to men? Think about it.....every morning we choose between dress pants, shorts, skirts, jeans, casual pants or a dress then we have the options for tops....tanks, tees, blouses, long-sleeved tees, 3/4 sleeved tees, combined with something for warmth of course because I know I get cold so we have cardigans, pullovers, sweatshirts or blazers....not to mention the shoes....flats, flip-flops, sneakers, boots, or heels? Decisions, decisions, decisions....the combinations are endless and that is without even considering colour, season, style, occasion and feeling! Guys on the other hand have three decisions to make. Dressy jeans or casual jeans? Collar or no collar? Casual shoes or dress shoes? Ahhhh the simple life. Of course I am exaggerating for effect, because I definitely have a few guy friends with larger wardrobes than me and my husband has on occasion been known to take as long as me to choose an outfit! My point is that I can see where some of the guys' opinions are coming from because they see it as being easy to shop only in your own closet for the year when you have that many options! I know my husband never understands my need to buy anything new for this very reason....he thinks that the more clothes you have, the less you need to shop and buy more. I guess I am realizing that he is probably right! Most of us could probably cut our wardrobes at least in half and still have a variety of clothing to choose from. I know a lot of my friends have expressed that since reading my blog they are starting to be more aware of how much clothing they have and thinking more before they shop.......
so I hope that this post inspires you to start shopping and dressing like a guy......not literally of course. Pare down your wardrobe to what you love and wear often, then only buy what you truly need from now on! I guarantee that doing these two things will give your closet some breathing space, simplify your mornings and spark your creativity to accessorize and repurpose.
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Lindsay
- Boredom
- To buy a new outfit for upcoming occasion
- Feeling down
- Celebrate a accomplishment
- Reward good behavior ie. I went for a run everyday this week, so therefore I deserve a new dress.
- New job=new clothes
- Weight loss/gain
- Replace an item lost/ruined
- Something to do on a rainy day
- For fun
Need I go on? The point is that women have so many more reasons to shop than men. So of course the women are more understanding of what it takes to give up such a big part of my life for a year! They don't like shopping anyway, so it would be easy to stop, right? I know there are obvious exceptions to this, but I remember reading a study in my undergrad Geography and Gender class entitled "Men buy, Women Shop". In a nutshell, the study showed that, generally speaking, men shop when they need something and would rather be in and out as quickly as possible, whereas women are more likely to enjoy the experience. I have definitely been on my fair share of mission-based shopping expeditions (you know the type.....I need a flowy, floral print shirt that buttons up and has short sleeves, in green or purple and I can't spend more than $40....then I wonder why I am disappointed when I don't find it) but I also know that some of my best finds were from aimless outings where I wandered into a cute shop on a whim only to find my new fave sweater. Hmmmmm, now that I think about it.....those are also the kind of outings that result in buyer's remorse....maybe us girls could learn a thing or two from the guys. Think about how different our wardrobes would look if we only shopped when we needed something and only bought what we loved....not to mention how easy it would be to get dressed in the morning! I think that is the other reason women find this challenge more impressive than guys. Have you ever thought about many options women have compared to men? Think about it.....every morning we choose between dress pants, shorts, skirts, jeans, casual pants or a dress then we have the options for tops....tanks, tees, blouses, long-sleeved tees, 3/4 sleeved tees, combined with something for warmth of course because I know I get cold so we have cardigans, pullovers, sweatshirts or blazers....not to mention the shoes....flats, flip-flops, sneakers, boots, or heels? Decisions, decisions, decisions....the combinations are endless and that is without even considering colour, season, style, occasion and feeling! Guys on the other hand have three decisions to make. Dressy jeans or casual jeans? Collar or no collar? Casual shoes or dress shoes? Ahhhh the simple life. Of course I am exaggerating for effect, because I definitely have a few guy friends with larger wardrobes than me and my husband has on occasion been known to take as long as me to choose an outfit! My point is that I can see where some of the guys' opinions are coming from because they see it as being easy to shop only in your own closet for the year when you have that many options! I know my husband never understands my need to buy anything new for this very reason....he thinks that the more clothes you have, the less you need to shop and buy more. I guess I am realizing that he is probably right! Most of us could probably cut our wardrobes at least in half and still have a variety of clothing to choose from. I know a lot of my friends have expressed that since reading my blog they are starting to be more aware of how much clothing they have and thinking more before they shop.......
so I hope that this post inspires you to start shopping and dressing like a guy......not literally of course. Pare down your wardrobe to what you love and wear often, then only buy what you truly need from now on! I guarantee that doing these two things will give your closet some breathing space, simplify your mornings and spark your creativity to accessorize and repurpose.
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Lindsay
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Support from fellow Vancouverite and Smart Cookie; Angela Self
When I mentioned this project on the Smart Cookies facebook page they were so impressed, that not only did they share it with their twitter and facebook followers but also one of the cookies has made special mention of my challenge in some of her online media articles. Angela Self has some great advice that might just encourage you to shrink your closet and maybe even fatten up your wallet in the process! Check out her 6 for 1 Challenge blog or the some of the Smart Cookies' articles in the Globe and Mail Investor section. It has been wonderful to have their support and I hope that it will lead to inspiring more people to live with less and encourage them to focus on adding more experiences to their life not more stuff.
Thanks Smart Cookies!
Lindsay
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)