Day One: It starts

Today kicks off the 30 for 30 Challenge, and I am still a weird combination of scared and excited. And I might have already broken the rules. I know there's no shopping, but I assume this is limited to clothes. Because, like, I need a broom, and I'm not gonna make do with paper towels for the next 30 days. But also, you guys? Gilt is totally not supporting this no shopping rule. I checked me email this morning to find out when my router will be here, and bam, right there, a Kate Spade sale. So I bought a purse. I know, I'm not good at this. For realsies, no more shopping at all, except for new things for my house. Pinky swear.

But! I did my first official 30 for 30 outfit. This is my first time wearing this top, and I'm very excited. I'm looking forward to getting a lot of use out of it.

This was the first round:

Modcloth Double Helix Sweater

Blank NYC skinnies

Nine West flats

(and wet hair, sorry)

This face says, hm, this needs something else.

H&M scarf (which comes in handy as a wrap in this freezing cold classroom)

 Much better! But it could still use my favorite accessory.

Mulder

Fossil watch

 There he is! Mulder makes every outfit look exponentially better. Oh, and I added my favorite watch.

Do the cuffs make my legs look even shorter? I think they do, but I don't care. I kind of feel like I need to stop dressing to "hide" "flaws." Since when are short legs a flaw? My legs can run a 5k, chase Mulder up the stairs, and hold me in a nice 2-point position and support my horse's bend in a shoulder-out. They won't get me on the runway, but I love my legs because of all they do for me. So yeah, I'm stumpy. Deal with it, everybody. I'm not going to go around my whole life pretending to be leggy for your benefit.

Love your body, everyone! It takes care of you! If someone wants to criticize you for your short legs or long torso or curly hair, that's just their own insecurities rearing their ugly heads. Don't listen to those people. They are miserable.

Saw this quote at the coffee shop today: The beauty of being beat is that you made it through.

Saturday was a rough day. I cried a lot. I doubted myself. I wanted to quit. I felt beat - beaten down, battered, defeated. But I was still standing.

At least, I was on Sunday. Saturday was still a hot mess. But the moving is over. I'm in a new home, learning new sounds, and figuring out a new thermostat. I'm happy and excited to start anew. A new day, a new home, and a new chance for something great.

Also, I handed the keys over to the old place. That has done wonderful things for my spirit.

This challenge seems a bit daunting. I went to bed last night contemplating whether I should switch out one of the skirts for another top, or wishing I had something in my closet that I don't possess, because I just realized how awesome it would be with the other stuff I picked out. In the end, I'm sticking with what I have, because that's the point of this challenge: work with what is in your closet. What you don't have won't help you now. And maybe, by the end of these 30 days, I'll realize I didn't even need it all along.

I'm leaving you with a couple of pictures of Mulder from this morning. This guy is seriously the most important thing I "own." Though I feel weird saying I own him. He's like my best little buddy who is more than happy to rest his head on my feet under the table while I study blog.