A Little Hiatus/Detox Update (a.k.a. an account of my failings)

I'm not going to mince words friends...I am failing miserably at my August shopping hiatus. (Or as my friend Karey would say, F to the AILING.)

And I blame The Gap.

I mean a crazy adorable "American in Paris" collection for kiddos that perfectly coincides with Audrey's French themed birthday party. Really Gap? Really? How am I supposed to have will-power in the face of this.

I am weak. (Don't ask what I was doing in the Gap in the first place...)

But wait, there's more. While I was failing (miserably), I thought why not go down in a blaze of glory and purchased the dress above too, reasoning that I would of course need something new for the Little Bean party next week. Oh and I also bought a CHAKRA dress for Audrey, but mainly because I wanted to wear it as a top (more on that tomorrow).

So, yes, spending hiatus has somehow morphed into mini-bacchanal.

But (and you know I have to include this to show that all is not lost) sugar/alcohol detox, a smashing success. 25 days in and I'm still going strong. There was that giant bar of Toblerone that I inhaled on the flight home from Germany, but I'm counting that as pure sustenance, as I hadn't eaten in eight hours, and it was the only available food-stuff. I didn't even enjoy it. I swear.

An Outfit (Deconstructed) ...

This is not a special outfit.

No, there’s nothing particularly fantastic about it... in fact, (in the interest of complete transparency), if I spotted a girl on the street wearing this outfit I probably wouldn't take a second glance at it. But, it’s worth posting here solely based on how much this outfit (seriously) underscores the relevance of my August hiatus.

(Or how much I need to take a break and reassess my closet before I buy another. single. thing.)

Case in point, notice how strikingly similar the top I’m wearing above looks to the black dress in my last outfit post. It’s not the same, I promise...The other one is a black dress with ruffly sleeves and a slight v neck. This one is a black tunic with ruffly sleeves and a slight boat neck.

See totally different.

There’s also the fact that I’ve almost purchased this top from Madewell (which is pretty much exactly the same as the top I’m sporting in this week’s outfit) no less that three times this summer… So it appears I have a thing for black tunicy tops with big ruffly sleeves. I've admitted the obsession, now it's time to move on.

Thanks. I feel better now.

The Details:

• Black top/dress -- Thrifted (no tag
• Black skinny jeans -- Gap
• Wedges -- Target
• Necklace -- Homemade

The Summer of Self Improvement -- The Detox: An Update

Claire Nereim's lovely new work, Seasonal Vegetables of California...it relates to the post. I promise.


So this week there has been success and there has been, umm…failure.

The success was (surprisingly, as I thought this would be the hardest part) on the sugar and alcohol front. In fact, you might even say I've been a bit of a no sugar/no alcohol machine, as with the exception of one (teeny, tiny…a crumb really) homemade brownie early on and a few sips of a lavender, lemon, gin concoction (which sounds sort of medicinal, yes?) on our date last Saturday, I’ve not slipped up at all.

And I’m happy to report it’s paying off. I feel great. Like super-power great…loads of energy, sleeping really well, (slightly) looser jeans. So definitely worth it.

I’ve also started drinking a (supremely disgusting, but seemingly effective) daily “green” shake, which pretty much consists of some green veggie powder (that I’m envisioning includes every single item represented in Claire’s incredibly lovely calendar above…see the connection?) and some cranberry juice swirled together in the blender and consumed as fast as possible, with my nose plugged. Totally gross, but again, makes me feel great, so worth it…

Ok, now onto the failure, otherwise known as “the shopping.” I’m sad to report that I have thrice cheated. Not huge cheats, but a cheat is a cheat, so no excuses. And they all occurred last Friday after my super virtuous dinner at La Duni with Bryan and the girlies. It was like abstaining from the warm chocolate pudding cake and expertly muddled mojitos was just too much to handle, causing me to break during the short walk from restaurant to movie theater during which time I was sucked into the vortex of cute that is Peek and bought three new things for the girls.

Things they didn’t need. Ugg.

But I haven’t given up. I’m still committed to staying the course through the end of the month, despite my upcoming work trip to Germany, as there’s nothing like a little foreign travel to set the consumption drive in motion. (Luckily my boss has scheduled back-to-back meetings the entire time I’m there…really I think he’s just looking out for me. He knows if I was set free in town, I’d surely break the hiatus. Thanks Chris ;-)

So onward I go…wish me luck.

The Summer of Self Improvement -- A Little Detox...

really lovely painted rocks + driftwood via anica (because if I'm not buying anything, I'll most definitely be paining rocks...)

So in an attempt to take my “summer of self-improvement” beyond creative pursuits, I’ve decided to do a little detox of sorts for the month of August. Specifically, I’m going to cut out all sugar, alcohol and non-essential shopping for the next 30 days…

(I’m going with the proclamation up front here, long-winded explanation to follow…just to mix things up a bit. I’m living on the edge friends.)

The mid-year mini spending hiatus has actually been brewing for a while... Back in the spring, I read Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man and was not only in complete awe of how spartan Beavan was willing to go but also incredibly inspired by how much his drastically non-consumer life increased his day-to-day happiness. New shoes notwithstanding, this is something that surfaces for me every time I embark on a spending hiatus of any length – that feeling of contentment that comes when I’m living in a more mindful way, buying only what’s truly necessary for survival. It’s even a little bit of a rush.

But then there’s also some practical motivation behind a late summer shopping freeze -- the unfathomable amount of kid detritus lurking of late in girlies rooms or "the bottomless pits of stuff." Seriously friends, where do all these things come from? It’s like a Mt. Vesuvius of toys and tchotchkes and little plastic bits….totally overwhelming, but also motivating.

So in an attempt to (re)tap into my inner “voluntary simplicity” and help tackle the mounds of…well, crap taking over my house, I’m in hiatus-land for the next 30 days.

And because it’s more fun if you make these things as hard as humanly possible, I’m also doing the no sugar and no alcohol thing for the same period. Yes, it’s possible that I might be a little crazy, but I promise there’s a method to my madness. See if I’m going to do a spending hiatus then I can’t buy any new jeans, and all the ones I currently own are, let’s just say, snug due to a steady summer diet of gelato and margaritas. Makes perfect sense, right?

So here we go -- no sugar, no alcohol, no unnecessary purchases...for the month of August.

I’m not even going to ask if anyone is in with me, I like you guys too much.

The Spending Hiatus -- Week Eight (!)

A few of the things I already own and love (dearly) -- from top: my beloved taika ittala dishes, a white dress I bought late last spring and can't wait to bust out this year, bryan's table and a groovy cement birdbath found by my genius friend achlee that I use as a centerpiece...

Well friends we have reached the end, crossed the finish line, we're done, finis.

Tomorrow is the official end of the Spending Hiatus (for me at least... some of you might be following a different schedule), and I'm feeling pretty darn good about the whole enterprise. I'm not sure I'm ready to bust out a full assessment of this year's hiatus, as I'm still processing, but I can say for sure that I'm glad I did it and would do it again. So there you have it for now...

I was good in this final week, making only one necessary purchase in the form of new yoga pants, as my old ones have a hole in the, well...rear region. Despite the fact that I'm not so much into the "exercising", I do go on a lot of neighborhood bike rides with the girlies (we have a hilly neighborhood, so bonus points, no?), and I wear yoga pants on these little jaunts. (I bike in my flip flops in case your wondering given the whole lack of tennis shoe situation -- I know, I know.)

I can't very well go riding around my neighborhood with my bum hanging out, right?

So the new yoga pants were a necessity. And the big accomplishment here friends was walking into the Gap for said yoga pants and walking out with nothing else. Just the yoga pants. No bag even...I jammed them in my purse. No fuss, no muss, giving me confidence that I'm not going to go completely off the wagon and embark on spend-fest 2010 come midnight tonight.

I feel ready (I think) to go out into the world of responsible, mindful shopping.

So how was this final (for some of you) week for you guys? Are you ready for this bad boy to be over?

The Spending Hiatus -- Week Seven

millie chillin with her best friend stella on her new bed...

It's week seven friends. Seven. Which clearly means we are in the final stretch, the last days, the end of the road...

Not that I'm excited or anything.

Actually truth be told, I'm nervous. I feel a little squirrely lately, and I know the hiatus has tempered me, kept me in check. So without something formal in place, I'm nervous about my ability to mindfully consume.

With that in mind, I spent a little time last week (no, I didn't cheat, but almost) looking back at past Spending Hiatus posts to strengthen my resolve and landed squarely on French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld’s mantra:

“The less you have, the more you enjoy.”

Well said Madame Roitfeld...and you know what, I believe it. Despite my (strong) desire to shop of late, I fully and unequivocally agree that the less you own, the more you enjoy. I do.

Ok, now onto the almost cheat (and a proud moment if I do say so myself.) My sweet friend Whitney bequeathed her son's old toddler bed to Millie a couple of weeks ago, and I fully intended to outfit it with new bedding, because of course it was an essential purchase, no? And it would certainly fulfill my jones to shop.

But then I thought of you, and the hiatus, and I started digging in cabinets, closets, etc... where I unearthed a perfectly groovy old quilt and the two Dwellstudio for Target pillows that my lovely reader Carolyn traded me for something in the SL shop (and I had always intended to use in Millie's room but completely forgot about.)

Bed outfitted.

But wait there's more. While I was sleuthing around, I also found an old crocheted pouf in the back of the closet that I tucked next to the bed, and I moved a sweet little painting of a bunny to grace the head of her bed. There's nothing like using what you have (and already love) in new ways. It's almost as good as shopping...maybe (maybe) even better.

So, how are you guys doing in this final stretch?

The Spending Hiatus – Week Six

Let’s say (hypothetically of course) that you have a lovely and generous mother-in-law that loves nothing more than buying little frocks for her two granddaughters (for this story we’ll call them Millie and Audrey, ok?)

Now let’s say the mother-in-law was somehow tipped off (I’m not saying by whom) that there are loads of sweet Liberty of London dresses and whatnot currently gracing the racks at Target and that she might like to take a peek.

And then suppose that same (highly) generous and lovely mother-in-law took the recommended peek and proceeded to buy a slew of said sweet whatnots for your daughters. Would that be cheating?

I’m just wondering…totally hypothetically of course.

Otherwise it was a good week.

How did you guys do? We’re in the final stretch!

The Spending Hiatus -- Week Five

a few of my favorite things -- oil paintings found at a thrift store, a mid century dresser that Bryan and I bought shortly after we were married and other treasures...


I had a most excellent week in regards to the spending hiatus.

Basically I didn't cheat. Which, after my performance the past couple of weeks, is a pretty big accomplishment. And there was temptation (namely the table of clearance books calling my name at The Modern last weekend...)

So I'm back on the wagon, all primed for the final stretch (can you believe we're over half-way done.) I'm also feeling even more encouraged by a little exercise I started in January when I was first gearing up for the hiatus.

I thought it would be interesting to write down everything I bought as sort of a benchmark for how I spend during a "normal" month (Millie's birthday is in January, so it was a bit skewed, but you'll get the idea.) I then did the same thing for February and looking at the two lists side-by-side is pretty humbling.

In the interest of full disclosure and encouragement, I thought I'd share the lists with you. I'm being vulnerable here friends, so don't judge. Here goes...

January Purchases:

Matta scarf / UO black boots / Slow cooker cookbook / Film for Instax / Clare Vivier clutch / Cowgirl outfit for Millie / 2 pairs of Land’s End maryjanes for A. / Tie dye dress for A. / Note cards for Haley’s birthday / 2 pairs of socks at Madewell / Supplies for Millie’s cowgirl b-day party (plastic horses, horse stickers, piñata + candy, cowboy hats, tissue balls, pin the tail on the donkey, star rubber stamp + yellow and brown stamp pads, 24 yellow balloons) / Wireless mouse / Pink converse maryjanes for millie / Elizabeth Peyton book / Simplesong business cards / New IKEA quilt for Audrey’s bed / Blush / 2 lip glosses / New veggie steamer basket / Clothes from Gap for girlies (green top + striped leggings for millie, jeans, 2 striped shirts + leggings for A) / Perfume from 4510 / Rug from Overstock for dining room / Paul and Joe dress / Dwellstudio pillow


February Purchases:

2 Pigeon books for the girlies for Valentine’s Day / Box of See’s candy for Bryan / Socks for girlies / Gap tunic for Audrey / Two Angry Moms movie (for school lunch screening) / Vintage necklace from V.O.D.

February (missteps notwithstanding) makes me feel like a bit of a spending hiatus rock star.


So, how did you guys do this week?

The Spending Hiatus -- Week Four

Well I’m sad to report that I failed again this week.

F.A.I.L.E.D. Again.

Geeze, what kind of Spending Hiatus ringleader am I?? I’m just going to own up…no excuses, no long winded justification.

I bought a vintage necklace at the Atlantis Home/Sea of Shoes trunk show at V.O.D.* last week.

I will say (and this isn’t justifying, I promise) that I love it and have worn it four times (!) since purchasing it exactly a week ago.

Ok that’s all…short, sweet and to the point. How did you guys do?

* The trunk show was actually pretty fantastic. V.O.D. is perfection – the space, the clothes, the Allison V. Smith photos adorning the walls… all of it. Oh and the people watching wasn't bad either.

The Spending Hiatus – Week Three

My dwellstudio bedding is pretty much at the very tippy top of the things I love that I already own. I had a white duvet cover for years…this makes me happy every time I walk into our bedroom...

I failed this week. (Or slipped if I’m being nice to myself.)

Either way I bought something, and after all my, “I’m so strong, I didn’t buy that killer ring”, blah, blah, last week, I wish I had at least caved on something so cool that you guys would collectively applaud me and agree that it was essential that I purchase it, spending hiatus be damned. Or something like that ;-)

But alas, I can’t…the culprit was just a little tunicy top thing at the Gap for Audrey. It was cute and versatile and cheap, and she loved it (she insisted on wearing it out of the store and then wore it to school the very next day.) But still…

I almost considered not telling you. But we tell each other, that’s the whole point, that’s what we do, right?

Other than the tunic, it was a good week. It felt a little easier than last week. I’ve also been distracted, as emboldened by not purchasing anything for a whopping 24 days, I’m now completely obsessed with cleaning out drawers, closets, etc…and as such, I'm becoming even more familiar with what I do own and love and (maybe most important) don’t love.

To that end, I have a small pile of clothes set aside for Goodwill and a few other things I’m planning to put on ebay. I’m hoping this exercise also helps me hone in on the things I might actually “need” when the hiatus is over – i.e. a new black skirt for work (my current one is awfully long in the tooth) a black bag (I seem to have every color but black, which for me is odd), you get the idea…

image via the Sartorialist...

I do find myself daydreaming from time-to-time about buying altogether odd things…like a trench coat (which I’ve never wanted in my life, but now can’t get out of my head due to the awesome looking girl above) and a popsicle maker (!) Apparently not buying does odd things to me…

How did you do this week?

The Spending Hiatus -- Week Two

Some proof of the heightened appreciation that comes with a little anticipation: I've wanted this Leroy Grannis book for a couple of years and finally got it for Christmas. I love it even more having waited for it a bit... and I'm especially appreciating it this week.

This week in non-spending felt long.

Not epic, but longer than seven days for sure. It was probably due to the temptation. See there was a ring; yes it was the ring that made it feel long. Never fear, I didn’t actually buy the ring, but I came awfully close.

The ring in question was the gold Alexis Bittar number above that showed up over on Gilt (seriously I need to just set up a rule so those Gilt e-mails don’t even go to my inbox during the hiatus), and it was “the ring I’ve been looking for forever”… chunky, a little dressy but still tough and kinda funky. In fact, I’ve had a ring like that (maybe not using those exact words, but still) on my “to buy” list for a while, so when I spotted this one, I sort of gasped a little bit.

And it was affordable…in fact (and this is the huge part friends), I have a little credit over on Gilt, so I could’ve bought that perfect ring for less than a latte. With shipping, it would have been about $2.50 (yes, I made it all the way to the checkout before I bailed.)

But I didn’t buy it.

And despite what you might be thinking, it wasn’t because I have super human will-power. No, I didn’t buy it because of you. Specifically because of:

Meg / Ana / Christina / Nicole / Jenny / Michelle / Sherry / Karey / Stephanie / I heart kiwi / Molly / Alexis / Katie / Trish / Shellbell / Liz / Shayna / Kate / Kristie / Elsa May / Rachel / Engracia / Leah / Pam / Megan / Kristin / Allison / Melissa / Leni / Alix / Heather / Modern Eve / Laura / sk / Ashley / Stephanie / Alexis / KJ / Sarah Elizabeth / Jacqueline / Emily / Dana / Jen / Bri / Kristina / Elaina / Alex / Christine / Jocelyn / Gina / missy + ally / adorned unicorn

+ I got an e-mail from Courtney (who isn’t even participating in the hiatus) containing a lovely (and very true) quote to encourage me…how nice is that?

So there’s something to this support group, yes? Strength in numbers, accountability… I like it. Except I really did want that damn ring.

Ok, so how did you do this week?

The Spending Hiatus -- Week One

Since part of the impetus for doing this year’s Spending Hiatus is to gain a greater appreciation for the things we already own, I thought it would be good exercise to include something I particularly love in my weekly updates. This week’s pick is the dress I bought from Gilt last month.

I’m officially 10 days into the non-spending, and so far it’s been pretty mellow…

One minor temptation occurred when I (finally) returned a pair of shoes that have been sitting in the backseat of my car for a month. My normal M.O. would have been to exchange them for a pair of cute spring wedges or some such thing, arguing that it was essentially “free money", but instead I dutifully returned them and walked out of the store empty-handed. I felt strong, empowered. It was good.

Oh and there was also that moment during the (ill-advised) Friday evening trek to Target with the entire family when I replied to Audrey’s request for a little stuffed animal with a sort of frantic, “Are you crazy, don’t you know we’re on a spending hiatus right now, what are you trying to do to me kid…”

She looked at me like I had lost my mind. I had.

Ok so other than that, pretty mellow ;-)

There are almost 50 of you doing the spending hiatus in some way. (I've included a list of all the participants below, let me know if I’ve missed someone or if you still want to join.)

Meg / Ana / Christina / Nicole / Jenny / Michelle / Sherry / Karey / Stephanie / I heart kiwi / Molly / Alexis / Katie / Trish / Shellbell / Liz / Shayna / Kate / Kristie / Elsa May / Rachel / Engracia / Leah / Pam / Megan / Kristin / Allison / Melissa / Leni / Alix / Heather / Modern Eve / Laura / sk / Ashley / Stephanie / Alexis / KJ / Sarah Elizabeth / Jacqueline / Emily / Dana / Jen / Bri / Kristina / Elaina / Alex / Christine / Jocelyn / Gina / missy + ally

So how’s it going for you guys? Did you make it through the first week?

Let the Non-Spending Officially Commence

I'm not sure that joanna henderson's perfect photo has anything to do with my spending hiatus, but it feels lovely and simple and, well...kinda, somehow appropriate.

I’ve been procrastinating writing this post all week, as once I write it, say it out loud if you will, there’s no going back, right?

On February 1st, I officially kicked off my spending hiatus.

(insert a little nail biting here...)

A little back-story for those of you not familiar with the hiatus… For the past couple of years, I’ve committed to not making any “non-essential” purchases for three months. If my girlies legitimately needed a new pack of socks (say all their old ones were too small and riddled with holes) or if they’d outgrown their tennis shoes, of course I’d buy new ones, but those sweet metallic ballet flats that Audrey “had to have”, no deal. You get the idea.

While there was certainly some financial motivation (i.e. recovery from the spend-fest that was the holidays) involved in my previous periods of non-spending, my primary driver for doing the hiatus was more a “consumption reset.” I like the idea of really appreciating and getting reacquainted with what we already own. There’s a boost in creativity when I’m forced to “mend and make do” and a sense of clarity that comes with not bringing a seemingly endless stream of new (and often unnecessary) stuff into the house. And all that time I’m not spending shopping, I tend to fill with more creative pursuits. During last year’s hiatus, we spent way more time at the museum, at the park, making things, cooking, reading…

This time around, I changed things up a bit. Instead of starting on January 1st, I decided to wait a month in order to take advantage of some of the post holiday sales + I didn’t want to feel guilty about throwing Millie a fun/festive b-day party…oh and there were those pre-Alt purchases too. It’s all about full disclosure here friends.

I also decided to do this for 60 days this year instead of 90. Looking back on previous years, I realized three months may have been a bit too long, as I seemed to have a tendency to go crazy upon breaking the hiatus in April. (Crazy like some deranged desert island castaway who makes it back to civilization and gorges on chocolate cake. ) Let’s just say that my Barney’s card got a lot of play last spring. Not good. (It's probably not good that I even have a Barney's card, but that's a topic for another time.)

So this year’s hiatus will go from February 1st- April 1st, and during this time my goal is no “non-essential” purchases on stuff. We'll still spend money on experiences, as I’m not limiting museum visits, road trips, meals out, etc…but we’ll be mindful when we do these things too. I’m also leaving some wiggle room for gifts, as it’s not always easy to make something for a six-year old boy’s birthday gift, but again, the goal is to be mindful...

Last year I asked if anyone wanted to join in the hiatus and blog about their experiences and many of you did. We ended up with a good support group, and that accountability certainly helped me when I was madly coveting some killer dress or a new little lovely for the house. So, I’m throwing it out there again but with a twist. Since this is such a personal decision, if you do join, you can decide how you want to do it.Some of you may be more interested in saving money than not buying anything new, so maybe your goal will be not to spend money during this time but instead use leftover gift cards from the holidays. Or you might decide 30 days is long enough for you or that you’ll only buy local or handmade for some period of time, and all that is great, as the goal is really to set a goal and be mindful and support each other in this endeavor.

So here I go…anyone care to join?

Change is Overrated…

Images via loft life

Anita Calero’s loft is one of my all-time, without a doubt, favorite spaces.

I’ve filed away iterations of Calero’s home from every shelter mag I’ve spotted it in, and (these are the types of things I do for fun in my rare spare time, in case you’re wondering) I pulled them all out recently to see how it’s changed over time.

It hasn’t. Not much.

Sure she’s made some tweaks, added a few lovely things, moved objects around, but (and this is a rare and highly admirable trait in my opinion) her style and aesthetic is so consistent, her vision so clear, that it’s essentially the same space, only better.

I feel seduced by the need to “change” far too often…worried that my house will fall into some sort of design rut, like a haircut way past its prime, and start getting itchy to make things look totally different. Usually when I go this route I fail…miserably.

I’m always more successful when I resist the lure of “change for change’s sake” and instead embrace what I already have, just tweaked to feel fresh…

Can you tell I’m starting to gear up a bit for the spending hiatus?

In this spirit, I also recently re-read this article, first spotted on Stephanie’s blog, about the rise of taste and restraint during times of economic strain and was again taken with these passages:

"Austerity is a good thing - an inspiration, not an impediment to genius. It forces more expressiveness and more interesting choices. The tighter the discipline, the more creativity flourishes.”

“The must-have items and fleeting celebrities would fall by the wayside, replaced by objects, experiences and individuals of lasting value.”

Objects, experiences and individuals of lasting value…Exactly.

Scenes from The Week-End

Do you ever have one of those weekends that's so busy you feel like you need a day to recover? Well that's where we are today friends.

We kicked things off on Thursday with Amy's photography show, which was excellent...She's awfully talented that one. Then there was a trip to the White Rock Local Market, an impromptu visit to Little Bean, a date at the movies with Audrey, an "end of the year" party/blowout with Audrey's former classmates, Sunday dinner with Erin, Ben and our friend Julie and loads of organizing/purging. In anticipation of fall and starting kindergarten, we tore through out every. single. one. of Audrey's drawers, her closet, toy bins, shelves, etc... It was highly, highly satisfying.

I also cheated a bit on my spending hiatus (more on that Thursday) and on the detox (some sangria and a burger(!) at the end of the year party, a glass of wine and a sliver of Julie's insanely good key lime pie during Sunday dinner.) Yes I'm a big fat cheater pants...ugg.

Audrey and Millie hanging at Little Bean with their friend Brooke...this place is my downfall.

Scenes from Sunday dinner -- chicken salad rolls + stir fry with snow peas, bok choy and cashews...

Taking in art (and cupcakes) at Amy's show...

Things I Bought Thursdays – A Bit of A Reset

I have to admit (although it pains me a bit to do so); it’s been a bit of an indulgent summer.

There was the art, the shoes and the clutch, the other shoes, oh and those shoes too…the distressed jeans, the beklina dress, the Vena Cava dress, the A.P.C dress + lots of little goodies for the girlies. (Wow it seems like an awful lot of stuff when I list it all together.)

Oh and there’s also been a few (too many) food indulgences – homemade cookies, cake, cobblers... Mexican feasts, and if I’m 100% honest (which I aim to be) quite a bit of wine.

Now the good news is that I don’t have any major buyers (or eaters) remorse… I love, love, everything I’ve purchased over the past couple of months. There was little impulse buying or disposable purchasing, and the girlie’s treats were mostly handmade by people I admire and respect. But I still feel like it’s time to do a little reset, as I know with Audrey’s birthday just a few weeks away, followed by the fall holidays and Christmas, the opportunities to indulge are only going to increase – significantly.

So for the month of August (I officially kicked this off last weekend) I’m doing a mini shopping hiatus/ban, revisiting my thoughts/goals after the first one + I’ll focus doing another purge of our closets and drawers for eBay.

I’m fully channeling Carine Roitfeld’s mantra here friends:

“The less you have, the more you enjoy.”

On the food front I’m also in the thick (day four to be exact) of a 14 day “detox” that lovely cousin Erin and I are doing together. Nothing too crazy or drastic…we’re just avoiding all alcohol, dairy, sugar, caffeine, red meat, processed foods, flour, gluten and soy... Yikes ;-)

Actually it’s been surprisingly easy. We’ve been eating loads of veggies and fruit, raw nuts, organic chicken and oatmeal + lots of decaf iced green tea. Going into it I thought I'd miss chocolate and red wine most of all, but my dreams currently consist of giant cheese platters. Oh cheese...sigh.

So have any of you done a detox? How did it go?

p.s. our date night was v. fun. We saw 500 days of summer, which I liked a lot, and no, I didn't drink any wine...

Things I Bought Thursdays...

Franco Albini ottoman in David Netto's home photo by Francois Halard for Vogue

During the aforementioned antique shop trolling in Louisiana last weekend, I scored an awesome, awesome find...

I think.

I've wanted a Franco Albini rattan ottoman forever but either A. couldn't find one or B. found one and couldn't afford it.

Well I found one (above), and it was, wait for it, a whopping $45.00. So I of course snatched it up!

But I'm thinking it has to be too good to be true, right? Surely a knock-off?? Here's the problem, I've done loads of Internet research and can't find anything about how to judge it's authenticity.

Either way, I love it, but I'd still love your insight... Anyone a Franco Albini expert?

Things I Bought Thursdays -- Your Opinion Requested Edition

This week I bought the above pair of distressed, faded, “boyfriend” jeans (whew that description alone made me tired), and (no surprise here) I have some angst over the purchase...

First off, I’m 35 and wonder if I should be wearing anything that’s purposefully ripped or distressed in any way.

Then there's the fact that I had almost the exact pair of jeans in high school, and I have this general rule that if you wore something the first time around, you probably shouldn’t wear it when it comes around again.

That said, I can’t help it…I kinda like these jeans.

So I need your honest opinion. Should I keep them, or should I adhere to rules 1 & 2 and send them back from where they came? + In this particular case your opinion is especially important as:

1. I trust you Internet friends.
   
2. We’re spending the 4th of July weekend with my family, and I’m feeling pretty confident that my mother and sister are going to give the jeans a thumbs-down, so if I get a resounding nay in advance from you guys, I can avoid the therapy-inducing fashion critique of my family altogether.
   
3. And if you do (like me) happen to find the jeans oddly appealing, then I’ll have back-up to counter the inevitable familial heckling.
   

How’s that for the world’s longest set up?? I think I just exhausted myself.

So, what do you think of the jeans ;-)

Things I Bought Thursdays...

First up are the two pieces of art (and the two sweet dresses for Millie) that I bought last weeekend at the White Rock Local Market. One is a lovely oil on paper mounted on wood that I hung in the hall, and every. single. time. I pass it, I smile. A sign of a good purchase indeed. The other is a mixed media piece on wood that I bought for Audrey's room. I'm really smitten with both.

Second, I bought the organic hemp silk dress that I blogged about a while ago, deeply discounted from Beklina. I must say, I would not actually consider this a dress, unless you have pencil legs or wicked high self-confidence...neither of which I possess. But I love it nonetheless, and the shopping experience at Beklina was perfection.

In other news, I posted my recipe for guacamole with feta cheese over here. Take a peek.

The Spending Hiatus – Closure… and What’s Next

lovely photo by mrs. french (of course ;-)

After subjecting you to my attempts to take a hiatus from mindless, non-essential purchases for three months, I figured you deserved a little bit of closure. (Or, maybe it’s me that needs some closure, so bear with a long post...)

I’ve been thinking about how to adequately sum up my experience, and all I can come up with is that it was one of my very. best. experiences. Seriously. Ok, I know that seems dramatic (and somewhat unbelievable)… How, you ask, can “not shopping” for a few months be a person’s very best experience? What kind of sad, boring life do I have? Here’s how: not shopping, not thinking about shopping, not planning to shop, etc… left loads time for me to do all the things that I previously thought I didn’t have time to do… things like cooking and reading and taking a sewing class, like going to museums, taking more photos, making weekly trips to the library, doing more projects with the girlies.

Not shopping also made me appreciate what I already have in a more heightened way. I made new outfits with existing pieces in my closet, discovered things in drawers and cabinets that had been tucked away un-used… When I did cheat, like on Audrey’s little blue dress, the treats in Marfa, the bikes (we love our new bikes!), I cherished them in ways I didn’t even think possible… And now, almost three weeks post-hiatus, I am completely in love with this “new life” of ours.

And as with most things in life, now that I can shop I don’t want too, which makes things pretty easy for now… I’m not sure how long this virtuousness will last though, so I’ve been thinking of what “checks” I can institute to ensure I don’t revert to my old ways. I firmly believe most of my success during the actual hiatus wasn’t due to my super-human will-power (trust me friends, I’m weak…) No, it was because every week I knew I had to be accountable to you… That’s the whole purpose of a support group, no?

So I was thinking I’d replace my Monday hiatus post with a “what I bought this week” post. My thinking here is that this will help me be mindful about the non-essential things I buy moving forward if I’m forced to tell you about them…

So what do you think? Are you sick of hearing about this?

And while we’re asking questions, how are my support group folks feeling now that you’re all done? I know some of you like Miss Aimee and Paula are continuing the hiatus; I know that Rachel’s first post-hiatus purchase was a lovely glass straw…

How about the rest of you... What's life like post-hiatus?