That's What I Mint! Go Minty on Earth Day

Mint:
noun
1. an aromatic plant native to temperate regions of the Old World. Several kinds of which are used as culinary herbs.
2. a peppermint candy
3. a place where the coins of a country are manufactured by authority of the government.

adjective 
1. perfect, as if new


Mint is topping Spring's must have hues list this year.
Personally, I love this shade. However, I don't have the time or money to go searching after every look of the moment, even one I really fancy.
Instead of running off to the store, I'm growing my gratitude for what I have.
This morning I did a roundup of the Mint I have in my life.  That's right, this morning.
It didn't take much searching at all to discover I own Mint-y things already.

This might sound silly, but hitting up my bathroom revealed a lot.
It might not help you feel like you're fashionable, but here are some tricks I use.

1.) It feels pretty satisfying to be fashionable underneath it all.

 

When I'm prepping for the day (read: bathing & deodorizing) I tell myself, "I'm so trendy right now."

It's funny how well that works. 

2.) Bright spots.  

I have plenty of minty receptacles (pots, drawers, cups, etc) around to store my craftiness.  

3.) Paint

If I need to add a little color to cloth, wood, glass, etc, I have craft paint on hand.  

I highly recommend Martha's line.

4.) Painted lady

Sally Henson's polish lasts fairly well.  I put on 2 coats.

5.) Be- dazzled

I got one of these necklaces at a clothing swap.

The other is from a spur of the moment World Market trip.

6.) These are just sweet.

See?  It's easy going Mint this season without spending a lot of coin.

#HappySpring  #HappyEarthDay  #GoGreen  #GoMint

Fashion Challenge: Pretzel and Mustard

When I need a change (and who doesn't need a change in a "Lion-esque March") I crave new stimulation.
One thing I have found to shake things up a bit without really changing anything is turning my wardrobe into a game.

I pick a color, pattern, or item for inspiration, and then using only the clothes I already own, I construct 4-5 work appropriate outfits.

This week, I decided to dress like a Pretzel with Mustard.
Weird right?  Perhaps I'm craving starches.
I loved the color combo of brown, cream, and mustard.  And my closet did not disappoint.  It had many options for me to choose from.

What does that look like?  Here's some of what I came up with:

  

brown vintage 2-piece suit (jacket + skirt) given to me by Erin from Kat's closet

  

bow necklace from a yard sale (reminds me of the twist in a pretzel)

Oxford-ish shoes with mustard tights (Sholarshop + Target) 

  

high waisted pants with lace cropped top (both thrifted) 

 

dotted flats (reminds me of salt) from Target

               

                             mustard chunky scarf with lace top      button earrings in a rodent shape
                                made by my lovely friend, Kelsey       made my my lovely friend, Erin

 

            thick corduroy (it takes courage to wear these!)                 amber brown earrings
                                                                                          The Covering House's clothes exchange

It was so fun getting dressed, using what I had, and tapping into my creativity!
There are practical benefits beyond "playing" with my look.
For starters, the rule "don't buy anything" helps me check my impulse to buy things I don't need and seek shopping as an outlet for  ____(boredom, dissatisfaction, etc.)
Another is, it is eye opening to how much I have.  When I have "nothing to wear" and yet 5 different outfits designated to 3 random colors.  Clearly, I have a lot.  And instead of wanting more, I need to be grateful.
This is, at it's heart, an exercise in satisfaction and gratitude.

So those are the practical heart-matter sides.
Now I want to know, do you ever play with your wardrobe like this?

Loving My "Ride" on the Rack and Clutch Fashion Truck

This weekend I got to try something new to me: hop on a fashion truck.

Now food trucks you know about, but a fashion truck?   

There is only one fashion truck in St. Louis, Rack + Clutch.  

I had heard about it from a friend.  We were attending a clothing swap together and she floated the idea of setting up a Rack + Clutch event.  If we had enough people, perhaps it would drive to us.  I was intrigued. 

Buying food from Food Truck Friday is one of my favorite things, provided I beat the crowd, so it would stand to reason that I would like a mobile clothing store as well.

And I did.  I loved everything about it.  From the concept to the execution to my purchases, I was impressed.  The truck drives to different locations in the city, including outside large businesses and parks to get lunch hour customers.  (As I said, impressive and helpful idea!)

The truck is owned and operated by Emily Ponath.  She started Rack + Clutch in April of 2013.    Clearly, she is a smart business woman, and she couldn't have been more friendly. 

Friendliness is likely one of her survival skills.  You'd have to be friendly in such a small space.  

When the truck had more than 5 shoppers on board (This was a party after all!) it took a little negotiating and movement planning to not bump into people or wares.  But if you came in mentally prepared, that's not a problem; it's a logistical reality.

 

The amount of items and the layout was ingenious.  

There was a check out area, dressing room with enough space to not run into anything, racks of clothes, and 2 display cases of jewelry.  

As it happens, that day the truck's back rack was on sale.  Everything on it was 5 dollars.  The prices are generally fair (no single item over 100 dollars) but this was rock bottom low.  

I snapped up several dresses (I had a wedding to go to in a few hours and nothing planned to wear) and tried them on.

True to form, I had a difficult time choosing which frock to get, so I purchased all of them for about 16 dollars. 

This isn't completely representative of the pricing you'll experience on the truck when you go, so don't be misled.  Mine was a right time and right place experience.  I got to grab up some Winter items to make room for Spring's collection.

I would absolutely recommend following the Rack + Clutch truck on the website's calendar, Twitter, or Facebook.

Or, if you're looking for a fun get-together with girlfriends, get 15 buddies to commit and do what we did: schedule a private event. 

It's fun to see such a bright truck parked in your driveway! 

With My Whole Heart. For My Whole Heart.

I want to open my closet and see possibilities.
I want to feel contentment.
I want to clothe myself in contentment.
I want to cast burdens off and down.

But when I open my closet door, I realize there are hangers I avoid and corners I avert my eyes from.
This awareness took time to realize and even more to pin words onto it.
Yet deep down, I now know the aversion stem from my "reject" clothes, the clothes I wore when being rejected or rejecting someone.

Fine clothing.
Favorite clothing.
Through no fault of their own now each piece has memories woven into the cloth.
Maybe it's imprinted because in those moments I desired to disappear into the folds, pleats, patterns, and hems. Whatever the reason, there is a remaining hurt that can't be washed or ironed out.

I might even wear the clothes still to prove that a memory can't control me.
But why require such defiance in getting dressed? Why keep such a touchstone?  Why wrap myself in it?

People, people other than myself, must also have this closeted issue.  This un-shared thought and gut response to our breakup clothes.

I've decided to cast off burdens and bless.  Why not give these and donate them to someone with a clean slate for their benefit and for mine?

Because blessing others heals.
Because giving heals.
Because giving freely opens up a world of possibilities, a world where less is more.

I will cast off my burdens to bless.
I give these clothes with my whole heart.
I give these for my whole heart.

Looking for a place to give?

I will be donating here:

image from revivethrift.org

.
Opened February 1, 2014
Read about their mission, and donate.

For your whole heart and theirs.