But what if I make it myself?

I am 156 centimetres tall.  That's 5"1.5' for those playing in the Imperial system.  My hunt for the perfect maxi skirt is an absolute nightmare.  Generally a store bought maxi skirt will come up to my chin, at least. 

During my hunt for the perfect maxi on my shopping trip with my Mum I became increasingly frustrated that any of the available skirts were not an option for those under 2 metres tall.  Mum is a bit of a sewer, she probably can't make me a ball gown but she can definitely make the basics, and she makes beautiful quilts.  We got on the discussion of how we could alter some of the maxi's for those of us who are vertically challenged and basically came to the conclusion that that with the styles at patterns on the skirts it wouldn't look as nice and then she made the suggestion "you are better off getting a piece of material and making your own up."  What is this madness?  I was born in the late 1980's, we don't make things.  We go and buy what we need at the shops where most items are made by small children in sweatshops in Bangladesh or China.  Side note; that completely sucks.

Anyhoo yada yada yada fast forward to Sunday afternoon where I'm stuck in a YouTube loop (you know it happens to you too) and I've watched about an hour of sewing videos and started to wonder, is sewing my own clothing breaking my rules? I'm consuming fabric, and gaining new things, but I'm also not consuming it from stores or sweatshops.  I'm using my own 2 hands to design, create and spend time actually doing rather than buying.  I certainly have the time, and Mum is willing to lend me her old sewing machine so I don't have to buy my own so apart from a few fabric and sewing costs, I'm not buying a lot of stuff.  Again, money saving is not the main goal of my year. 

I think it is allowed in my challenge.  It's creative and I always allow creativity in my life.  It is spending time on an experience rather than just buying, and I get an end result!

Go forth and sew!

Shopping can be just as frustrating as it is fulfilling

Yesterday I went shopping.  Don't freak out, you knew about this.  I was at the Macquarie Centre like I spoke about in my last post with my Mum.  We live in Newcastle so a trip to 'the big smoke' (Sydney) can be kind of a big deal for the shopping.  It was my big H&M excursion and I was thrilled.  To add fuel to the fire, Forever 21 has just opened as well!  If you are an Aussie, you know this is kind of a big deal; rest of the world, yes we are really that far behind!

Like a good little shopaholic I trooped around Forever 21 first thrilled with excitement, this was however after queuing up like I was at a night club waiting the bouncer to let us in the doors.  Bouncer let us and I gasped and squealed in delight at the brand of clothing I hadn't seen since I left Paris, and is much the same as the clothing available at ANY OTHER CHAIN STORE marketed to the under 30's.  I spent a good 40 minutes in there, and walked out empty handed.  What was this madness?  I didn't understand?  I looked and picked up items and then left with nothing?  Huh?  Was I possessed at some point during the store? 

These items weren't what I had in my head that I needed to add to my clothing collection.  I need a maxi-skirt, LDB with a pop of colour for nights out where I don't want to wear plain black, and a Jersey dress.  None of the items in Forever 21 were right!  I dismissed the LBD with a pop of colour that I found because I had seen one online at H&M and obviously because half my trip to Sydney was purely based on going to H&M it was obviously going to be better!

Of we goes to H&M.  Where was my LBD with a pop of colour I had found online and loved?  Where was my jersey dress?  Oh wait there it is, and it's see-through!  Don't even get me started on the maxi-skirts available.  Nothing was just right!  This illusion in my head of the perfect shopping day I had set aside money for wasn't there!  It didn't exist!  It was all a lie!  5 hours on a train for this.  For the lies?  

Sadness washed over me as I thought of the wasted time I had spent looking online and flagging all of these perfect items, and the time wasted sitting on a train for half the day and the realisation that these items would not bring value to my life, or make me any happier.  I saw the entire day as a waste because the 5 items I picked online weren't available.  The 2 stores had probably about 10 000 items of clothing between them, and apparently they were all crap.  The brought nothing to me.

Now being the shopaholic that I am I had to take myself back to the bouncers at Forever 21 a little while later because maybe the LBD with a pop of colour I had to quickly dismissed previously would actually be acceptable new I knew H&M didn't have the perfect LBD with a pop of colour that I was after.  Low and behold, it was.  Much torment and time could have been saved if I had given this item the time of day much earlier and we could have all gone home happy.  But there was this illusion that another store held something better, something that would mean more to me, and bring more value to my life.  The illusion lied.  

What this experience taught me though is that this challenge is going to be freaking hard.  I love to shop!  I love to look online and save items and ideas, and I love getting outfit ideas off Pintrest and watching fashion hauls on YouTube.  But at the end of the day, what does it bring me?  Sore feet, a smaller bank balance, and a LBD with a pop of colour that I probably won't even have an occasion to wear it to for several months.  

Regardless, I'm excited!  Bring it on.   

Getting right down into the nitty gritty of it

Like all projects, a firm set of rules is quite important.  Without rules there is no order, only chaos, and that chaos my friends leads right into consuming.

 

My 2015 non-necessary consuming rules are as follows;

 

• For the remainder of 2014 I can consume un-necessary items.  We’re talking 3 weeks here, not a 3 months and I have a shopping trip with my mother planned.  I get to visit H&M in Australia for the first time.  Be still my beating consuming heart…….

• I will not purchase unnecessary clothing.  I do have enough general clothing to last me for approximately 8 years, but it may be necessary during the year to purchase the following;
• 1 (one) black cardigan – I have 2 black cardigans that I wear to work 5 days a week.  As I sit at a desk and type all day I wear through the elbows quite frequently.  Plus cardigans pill and look like crap after a while.  I need to look neat and presentable at work.
• Underwear – Enough said. 
• 1 (one) dress to wear to a wedding – I have a wedding to attend at the end of the year interstate.  I’m not as yet sure on the theme or location but it is a cooler climate to my home and I may not have a suitable dress in my wardrobe.  I’m rather small framed and most of my friends do not have clothing small enough for me to borrow.  If I can borrow something I will, but it might be necessary for me to buy a dress.

 

• I will not purchase unnecessary shoes.  I’m not really a shoe person.  It’s just not my thing and I really do have plenty to go with all my outfits.  That being said, special considerations can be made to the following;
• Work shoes – These are a necessity and as with the cardigan they do wear out and I need to be presentable at work.  I have a ‘meeting’ pair of Mary Janes and an everyday pair of black flats.  I have crappy flat feet and need to look after my feet so should they wear out they can be replaced.
• Thongs (pluggers/flip/flops/jandles/you know what I’m talking about) – I own one pair of Haviannas and have done for the past 5 years.  They are still in great condition but I only own one pair and if they should for some reason ‘have a blow out’ I can replace them.
• Black heels – Again I own one pair and consider these a wardrobe staple.  Should they die, off to the shops I go.
• Wedges – See above.
• Running shoes – cue calls from the crappy feet to get new running shoes and it’s off to the running shop for a new pair.  This project will not cause me to have foot, shin or knee pain for the sake of not consuming.  These are an item deemed necessary. 

 

• Cosmetic purchases are not allowed unless an item is not able to be replaced by another item in my collection.  As a former beauty blogger I have a rather extensive make up collection.  I will not, however, use mascara for longer than 2 months and 6 new tubes of mascara will be required during the year.  I do not predict that I will run out of any other cosmetic items during the year but if something runs out and absolutely cannot be replaced by an item in my collection I can purchase a new product.

• Hair care/body care – I don’t plan on being stinky or gross for 2015 and therefore I can purchase shampoo, conditioner and body cleaning/ deodorizing devices as necessary.  Really, it's a public service.

• Skin care - Most of my skin care comes from the kitchen, no doubt I will teach you all about it over the next year, but skin care may be purchased as required.

• 'Outings' are welcome and encouraged.  I wish to spend my time socialising and enjoying fine food, wine and company.  As long as it fits into my monthly budget.  You will learn more about my budgeting over the course of the year as well.  On my death bed I doubt I will be thinking of that perfect white tee I had to have, but will be remembering the good times I have had with loved ones.

• Books and music are welcome as I consider them cultural items.  Again, these must fit within my budget.

• Accessories - Nope!  Uh-uh!  No way!

• Gifts - I've had to think long and hard around the rules surrounding gifts.  Eventually I have decided on the following;
• Consumer 'event' gifts - Direct non-necessary gifts received for an event are acceptable.  This might be a present for my birthday, Easter, Christmas etc.
• Non 'event' gifts - I predict during 2015 I will do a lot of complaining to my boyfriend about how I am missing out on buying 'stuff'.  I also predict he will offer to buy me something or offer to give me money to buy me something.  Should he do so, this gift is not accepted.
• Surprise gifts - If I am gifted a non-necessary item without complaining or nagging for it, it will be accepted.
• Cash gift cards or cash - If I am given a cash gift card or cash for an 'event' (see above) I am unable to spend it on non-necessary items. 
• Store gift cards - If I receive a gift card to a particular store where I am unable to purchase items that are necessary items and can only spend the gift card on a non-necessary item this is allowed.  Eg; A Target gift card cannot be spend on unnecessary items but a Jeanswest gift card can be.

I hope I have covered everything here!  Please say hello to my rules of 2015.  Rules, say hello to my readers. 

My name is Caitlin, and I am addicted to consuming.

My name is Caitlin, and I am addicted to consuming. 

That very word makes my blood boil.  Consuming….  It sounds like one of the deadly sins.  Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride and consuming.  Although I suppose, each of the 7 deadly sins can be related to consuming.

I have a lust for ‘insert whichever item I currently need.’

I am gluttonous and need everything I want.

I am greedy and buy more than I need.

Sloth, the sleep like state as I walk around the stores buying what I don’t need or even the sloth of not repairing an item or altering an item and just replacing it and consuming more!

The wrath when something I want is not in my size or on sale.

The envy when someone has something I want and I don’t have or when I don’t currently have the funds to buy a purchase I want.

The unnecessary pride I have when I get more and more things that I don’t need.

I have decided that 2015 will be a year of change.  In 2015 I have decided to challenge myself and stop consuming.  I assume it will be quite obvious that I do not mean that I will stop all consuming.  Unfortunately, as a living being I need to eat food and stay hydrated.  I do also need to consume accommodation and I need somewhere to keep the stuff I have so I can go on living a normal life.  I could go on, but I assume you get the gist of what I am saying.

I plan to stop consuming items that I don’t need.  I define need as a an item that is completely unnecessary to the day to day running of my life, or that I do not consider ‘culture’.  Don’t expect me to be a recluse for the next 12 months, I won’t be sitting on my lounge thinking about all the things I wish I could buy or do.  This project is not to save money (that will be a given) but to change my habits and learn be content with what I have.   

I invite you and to join me on my quest, my quest for consumer freedom! 

Go forth and stop consuming…..