What I Have Learned

So. It's been a week since my last post and I am sorry to say that this time I do not have a weeks worth of 30-for-30 outfits to share. I normally wouldn't consider myself a quitter, but this week was chock full of last-minute surprises including a possible break in our lease to snatch up a new apartment in Midtown and a big project that is due before Christmas break.

Because I do feel bad for not making it all the way through, I decided that to possible make up for it, for each day I was not able to participate in the remix challenge (9 days) I would donate that many articles of winter gear. Two coats, five scarves and two pairs of gloves later, I feel a little better about things. When I was donating my items, I found it to be harder than I thought to find a place besides Salvation Army or Purple Hear to donate; a lot of places are looking for men's clothing as it is less frequently donated and Women's shelters are looking for new items. I ended up donating my items to a church in our neighborhood, so all is well.

I am really glad that I participated in the 30 for 30 challenge though because it taught me quite a bit. Here are a few things that I learned along the way:

1. Take risks. While I was rather impressed with myself for wearing a shirt under my strapless dress, I also surprised myself by wearing my dress as a shirt! Also, I wish I would have had a wider variety of colors in my wardrobe.

2. Dress appropriately. The mini skirt I selected for the remix was not considered work appropriate so it limited the occasions in which I could wear it (until I wore it as a shirt!). Furthermore, I should have considered the approaching colder weather that was headed our way here in Michigan. Wearing cropped pants, skirts and dresses can be a bit nippy when you know you have a looooooong walk across campus!

3. Patience is a virtue. In hindsight, I should have taken more time to make sure the lighting was correct and sought out various locations in which to take the pictures if possible. I was really happy with the pictures that were taken over the Thanksgiving holiday and in the future I hope to showcase more of my surroundings here in Detroit. Keeping in mind, this may only be on weekends or Spring-Autumn because if you consider the following:

work/school schedule + Michigan days in the Winter = pictures in the apartment

I just haven't mastered the outdoor nighttime photo, so in the meantime, bear with me!

4. Don't sweat the small stuff. Life happens. And apparently when it hands you lemons, you bake a most amazing blueberry lemon crumble. Or throw it in Sangria. But honestly, I got back into washing my clothes by hand to make sure I had all options on hand at all times, which saved me quite a pretty penny, And as I have learned, that just as you should not cry over spilled milk, you should not cry over last minute remixes vs. being late for work. I did actually remix on Wednesday and Friday, but I did not have a H.M. to document this most amazing feat and I wasn't about to go into a Helter Skelter panic about it. Instead, I caught up on homework, a few episodes of Glee and then hit the hay early (for once).

5. This is a great idea. Especially for me around the holidays. My mom is always telling me to stop buying things for myself around the holidays and to put it on a list for other people, but honestly a girl can only wear her Patient Pants for so long. not being able to buy new things, let alone wear things outside of my 30 items allowed my creative juices to flow, thinking of new outfits to wear at various gatherings even after the challenge had ended. It also helped me save monies to really splurge on my loved ones!

All in all, I am glad I participated and look forward to doing it again in the future now knowing what I know. I t was a great way for me to meet other bloggers, and I look forward to seeing the remainder of your remix choices!

Best of luck!