30 For 30 Recap

The challenge was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be at the start.  It definitely stretched my skills, but I think it was a worthwhile experience.  Now I look at how many clothes I have in my closet and wonder what I am going to do with them all!  I also think I have drastically improved the quality of my photos.  Mostly thanks to hubby being willing to get some outside shots, but I've also learned how to manipulate them better, thought I'm sure I have plenty of room to improve still.

There were a few things I would do differently.  At the last minute I swapped a pair of jeans out for my denim skirt, which left me almost nothing I could wear my Nikes with.  I should have swapped them out too.  I also wish I had picked more fun shoes.  I really started to miss heels and brightly colored footwear.  I think I should have included another top or two and cut down on my bottoms so that I felt like I had a bit more variety.  My skirts and pants are all very neutral colors which felt very monotonous, but that's more of a problem with my wardrobe in general and not my 30 picks.

I have come up with a couple of goals out of this.  First, I want to add more color to my closet.  As mentioned above, I have too many neutrals.  Second, I want to add pattern.  Almost everything I own is solid, or close enough to make no difference.  Last, I don't want to pay full price for anything!  I don't do this much anyway; I am usually scouring the clearance racks.  But now I want to work on my thrifting skills, and visit some consignment stores to see what I can find. (My mom will be so proud.)

I would love some feedback from all you out in blogland.  Below is a photo recap of all my outfits, and a survey.  Would you be so kind as to tell me your favorites?  Pick as many (or as few) as you'd like!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Thank you so much for your input!  Now, I had a few photos that I hadn't posted before I started to challenge, so I have those lined up for the next few days.  I need a break!

Day 2

I was really happy with today's outfit.  It was super fun, even if it was crazy to wear a skirt in -1 degree weather.  That's just how I roll!

Shirt:  Target
Cardigan:  Target
Skirt:  Old Navy
Belt:  Rue 21
Tights:  ??
Boots:  Steve Madden

30 for 30 Picks

It was really hard to pick my 30 items.  I still don't know if I made good decisions since this is my first challenge, but I guess I'll find out soon!  If you haven't heard of the 30 for 30 Challenge, the basic premise is that you pick 30 items of clothing (including shoes) and wear only those for 30 days.  You can use whatever accessories you want.  You also aren't supposed to buy any clothes during the challenge.  The point is to learn to remix your current clothes so you can make do with less.

Shoes:  Black boots (Steve Madden), Plaid flats (Soda), Brown boots (Soda), Black shoes (Mudd), Sneakers (Nike) - I apparently need to find some colorful shoes that are also comfortable!  These all look so boring...

Pants: Brown pants (Express), Black pants (Express), Grey pants (H&M), Skinny jeans (Old Navy)

Denim jacket (Old Navy)

Sweaters:  Purple sweater (Express), Pink cardigan (Old Navy), Cream cardigan (Target), Red vest (Express), Blue sweater (Kohl's)

Shirts:  Robot tee (Threadless), Cream cami (Target), Black tank (Target), Green button-up (Express), Striped tunic (Kohl's)

Shirts:  Pink shirt (Banana Republic), Multi-colored sequin tank (Old Navy), Pink sequin striped tank (Express), White button-up (Express), Black & white print tank (Target)

Striped dress (Kohl's)

Skirts: Denim (Express), Black pencil (eBay), Green ruffled (Old Navy), Tan (Banana Republic) - I've wanted to wear skirts more often, so hopefully this will help.

I made these hangar separators out of red cardstock to keep track of what is in my 30. (Pardon the messy closet.)

I think one of the harder challenges is going to be posting on my blog every day.  I'm used to blogging a little behind, and usually schedule a week at a time on the weekends.

Well, it starts tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

Blog Interrupted... and Challenge Accepted

I'm back on track now!  I had a lot of personal stuff going on the last few weeks, but things have finally settled back into their normal routine.

I found the blog Kendi Everyday just as she was starting the last 30 for 30 challenge.  (The basics?  Choose 30 items of clothing, including shoes but not accessories, and wear only those for 30 days.  Also, no buying any new clothes during the challenge.)  I followed her and many of the participants throughout their 30 days.  I thought it sounded like a pretty tough but fun challenge, though I wasn't sure I could do it.

Then the other day I popped by her site and saw that she was doing it again!  I signed up on the spot before I could talk myself out of it.  I spend a good portion of the day today deciding what to put on my list.  I have the list done, with a few days to spare so I can mull it over and change my mind on a few things if I want to.  I will take a photo of all my choices once they are final (and out of the laundry). 

I know a lot of participants have a hard time with the "no buying" portion of the challenge.  We are pretty short on funds at my house these days, so I wouldn't have that option anyway.  It might make things easier to bare with TWO reasons not to shop. Plus, my closet is too full anyway.  I need to work on my remixing what I have, and this should do the trick!  Join me if you think you are up to it.  I would love to see what you've got!