ODP Days 9,10 & 11: Dr. Grumpy Is IN

So let's be blunt here. I'm not enjoying the October Dress Project this year.

Last year I loved it. I had so much fun coming up with new ways of wearing my dress, and new ways of utilizing the items in my wardrobe and all my accessories. I had an excuse to wear all my favourite and fabulous things that I wouldn't normally wear on a regular day.

This year? Well. I don't have any accessories. I don't have much in my closet. I left all my favourite and fabulous things in Scotland, most of which is now hopefully on a charity shop clothing rack or some lucky person's body.

This project is absolutely not fun when you don't have anything with which to jazz up your dress.

I mean, okay, it's not like I have nothing. I have a drawer full of t-shirts, some that were mine and most that were hand-me-downs when I got here from some very generous (and fashionably cute) people. I have a couple pairs of jeans. I have a couple pairs of cute socks. I have two functional belts - a brown leather one and a ridiculous zebra one - and one fat accessory red belt. I have some head scarves and neck scarves. I still have a fair number of (winter) hats. I have several pairs of (non-walking) shoes.

I do not, however, have any more cardigans, jumpers, jackets, dress shirts, skinny belts, boots, tights or leg warmers. I have a select few necklaces and bracelets.

I guess in some ways it hardly matters that I don't have any of these things; the weather is too warm for layers or tights anyway.

I'm not really whining, though I totally am, it's just that doing this project this year really highlights my lack of interesting and fashionable possessions in a way that ordinary clothes-wearing would not. Each day I'm confronted with the reminder that my adorable mustard cardigan would have looked so cute with The Stripes (I think that's my dress's new name) or a pair of red tights and my old black boots would give it a real festive look.

It also reminds me that I have nowhere to wear my dress anyway, so why bother? When I do come up with a cute look, like wearing The Dress Stripes with my thick red belt, I'm quickly reminded that wearing a thick red belt with or without red heels would look frickin' stupid on the walk to school, and then would be completely impractical for a day spent in the house folding laundry and homeschooling a four-year old and periodically breastfeeding a cranky toddler. Yummy Mummy? What's the point?

All that said, I guess I'll still keep the project going. Maybe there's something for me to learn by the end of it. I hope it's not that I should start dressing like a slob and give up on make-up and forget all about having my own style, because I don't want to turn from Yummy Mummy to Slummy Mummy. I always liked looking nice and having fun clothes and wearing lipstick. I don't want that to change, though I can feel the Giving A Crap slowly fading away. Besides, I've got to keep the project up for Fifi's sake. She's doing such a good job of it and having so much fun with it, I don't want to spoil that for her by giving in to my own boredom and dislike. She even told me today she was doing better at the project than I am, and she's right.

She has been looking awesome.

On Wednesday (gosh I'm so behind on posting the pictures), Fifi rocked her dress with a "Little House on the Prairie Meets Hipster" style by wearing Her Dress as a top tucked into her favourite white ruffly maxi skirt and topped with her awesome star-elbow grey cardigan. You can't see in the picture, but she's wearing once again her favourite neon wedge sandals.


Yesterday, she went all skater-chick on me with Her Dress as a skirt under a cool black and white stars t-shirt and red tights with sparkly silver shoes. She got a new hat and gloves the day before so of course she had to sport the new hat. We were in a rush to get to school on time, so I took a photo as we power-walked.


Today she went Friday casual (how would you spell 'caj' as in short of 'casual'? I wanted to write 'caj' but can't figure out how it's spelled. Ideas anyone?) She wore Her Dress under a cute t-shirt that says 'Smart Girls Rock' (which they totally do). Her black Mary Janes completed the look.


As for me, on Wednesday I got creative with some items of clothing that were given to me when I moved here, and wore The Stripes with a long-sleeved black shirt underneath and a black waistcoat over it. The black sleeves and waistcoat together formed an almost jacket-y look, which I liked. I added black leggings for warmth and - you guessed it - the same old black flats. (I'm beginning to think those flats could have a Shoe Project month all to themselves.) By the way, all this black is depressing me. I miss colour. Which is why I added the colorful sparkly scarf.


Lolly, by the way, who has no interest in the October Dress Project, has started protesting over not getting her picture taken everyday. So I've been taking Lolly shots daily now too.

Yesterday, I held out hope that it would stay as cool as it had been the day before, so I wore jeans under The Stripes and my favourite owl hoodie over top. To be honest, this outfit made wearing The Stripes completely superflous but whatever. I wore a different pair of black Mary Jane flats, a more sporty pair, and didn't fix my hair or my make-up. Hey, workin' the stereotypical Stay At Home Mom look, well done. Unfortunately, it got warmer later on so I ditched the hoodie and the jeans all day until I had to go back out for soccer practice, and put the jeans back on with a black polo over the top. Still no hair or make-up. I spent all that time on soap operas and magazines I guess...

Oh and this photo was taken later in the day by Lolly. Hence the finger in the top left corner of the second picture.


Yikes, we need to cut our grass.

And then today I went ahead and looked frickin' stupid walking to school with that thick red belt around The Stripes, which I tucked into a red miniskirt. I wore a big black scarf to cover up some more of The Stripes. I wore black leggings with my black flats. I even wore a red hat with it for a little while, before it got too hot. The outfit was kind of cute, I guess.


On to Day 12 tomorrow. Nearly half way there...

Sincerely,
The Whiniest Girl in the Project.

(And ironically the same girl who not to long ago posted about how great it is to own nothing. Hmm.)