ODP Day 20 – Relax

Hello reader,

It might seem odd that I found today relaxing, given that I had a meeting about graduation requirements, a lab practical, work, and youth group, but I really did. I think it came from finally having answers to my graduation questions, the relief of finishing something I’ve been studying like crazy for, and quality time spent with quality people.    
It also might have to do with the fact that I drank 5 cups of coffee today, because I didn’t have time to be tired. 

 
I was feeling pretty pumped after my practical, so I decided to document the moment. That’s right, y’all – I took a bathroom mirror selfie. #whitegirl

But really, aren’t my scrubs super cute? The lady at the thrift store I got them at said, “you’re in school to help people? Sweetheart, you can have this for $1; we need more people like you.” God bless little old thrift store ladies.

The last time I went to youth group in my lab scrubs, the kids asked me like a hundred times if I was a nurse now, so I’ve decided to stop confusing them and just change before I leave campus. It doesn’t really count as a bonus outfit though, because I wear the same two pairs of scrubs to lab all the time.  
Check out this super cool Halloween castle in the youth neighborhood! It’s made out of styrofoam, and I wish I were as architecturally skilled as the person who built it. It’s wicked fancy.

Also, I know what you’re thinking. “Finally! She’s wearing more than two prints at a time. These lame-o boring two print outfits were getting old.” I completely agree. I’m feeling the thinning of my wardrobe selection as these last 11 days approach, so you’ll probably be seeing more of these three pattern combinations. I like them (mom, it’s ok that you don’t. I still love you).  
 
Ps: Internet, do you remember Lucy? She’s the bomb.com, and you should be her friend. 

ODP Day 19 – Aspirations

Hello reader,

The walls are made of windows in the building where I work, so one of my favorite pastimes when clients aren’t coming in is to people watch as students rush by, hurrying to their next class. This is what I was doing early this morning before we opened. I saw this girl walk by, and I was instantly captivated by her personhood. She had long, blonde/pink hair, a Pinterest perfect fall outfit, a hipster beanie, and a super cute backpack. I turned to my friend Lucy and said, “she is the personification of everything I strive to be.” But the more I think about that statement, the less I believe myself. I know nothing of that girl’s spiritual life, academic achievement, campus and community involvement, dedication to friendship, or anything else that truly matters. There is no denying that whoever she is, the girl has style, but when I evaluate my goals, that is not what I strive to have.  

I strive for spiritual maturity in my walk with Christ. I strive to graduate with a 4.0 gpa and be accepted into a top graduate program. I strive to make a difference in the lives of the students around me. I strive to be a source of unconditional love for my friends and family. 

   
Looking cute is fun, and it might gain me followers on Instagram and WordPress, but allowing God to use me by investing in the lives of the youth in my church will help me grow and mature spiritually. Being the last person in the library parking lot will help me achieve my academic goals. Spending quality time with my friends will deepen and strengthen our relationships. Sometimes I think I need a reminder that my external appearance is one itty bitty fraction of who I am as a person. That’s part of the reason I love the ODP so much; the depth of emotions that comes from wearing the same dress every single day for an entire month  is what brings me back to this project each year. Creatively pairing articles of clothing into outfits I’d never dream of wearing in any other month is exciting, but the yearly mental reset into an attitude of thankfulness and contentment is the real treasure of the ODP. 
 
Dear Pinterest-perfect hipster girl,

You are adorable, and someday I hope to ask you where you got your backpack. I think we could be great friends, and I’m always down for more friends. But you are not everything I strive to be, because I strive to be more like Jesus. 

Love,

The writing consultant who was creeping on you through the window 

Ps: let’s get coffee sometime, because I’m serious about the backpack thing.

ODP Day 14 – Justification

Hello reader,

 Today was long. And hard. And I’m starting to feel like junior year is never going to end. But at the (almost) end of the day, in between work and my night class, I cracked open a fortune cookie that told me to be thankful. Jesus knows what we need in our weakness, y’all. I am thankful for long talks with my mom, professors who give extensions, answered emails, and access to the UNT library database. 6 weeks of the semester left, y’all. Let’s do this.  
 I bought this leather belt a good two and a half years ago. Today was the first day I have ever worn it. But it’s so cute with this outfit, right? On the other hand, I bought these shoes about three weeks ago, and I practically wear them every day. Bottom line, regardless of how often I wear the things in my closet, if I feel happy when I wear them, I feel justified in their purchase. Life isn’t about how often, it’s about how well.  

 

 

ODP Day 6 – Water

Hello reader,

I’m a firm believer in honest answers to the question, “how are you?”. If I’m having an awesome day, I’ll tell you. If I’m having a horrible day, I’ll tell you. But some days, I just can’t put into words how I’m feeling.  Today was one of those days. Lately my heart has been breaking as my news feed fills with stories about the flooding in South Carolina. Swiping through pictures of houses I have slept in being submerged in water and roads I have driven on collapsed has been weighing heavily on my spirit. I wish I could be there to hug my best friends’ necks, to rip out ruined carpet with the children I used to babysit, and to provide a warm and dry place for the families that used to sit in my pew at church. But here I am in North Texas, unable tondo anything but pray. Friends, know that I love you, I’m praying for you, and my Texas couch is always available. Call me and I’ll put the kettle on.   
 

ODP Day 1 – Thankful

Hello reader,

I think the rule is that the worse the first day of the month is, the better the rest of the month will be, right?  I hope so, because if it’s true, then the rest of October will be the best ever. Today was rough. Today, I will choose to be thankful.  
I am thankful that today is the first day of The October Dress Project. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to choose simplicity one month out of the year. I am thankful for friends who love and support me in the craziness of wearing one dress for an entire month. 

 
I am thankful for long hugs and real houses to escape to. I am thankful for a church family who loves me and lets me crash at their house at the last minute. I am thankful for those who know my heart and nurture it when I feel alone.

 
I am thankful for Zera Coffee Company and the people who work there. I am thankful for the man who made my coffee with love and the woman who laid hands on me and prayed for my spirit at the register.  I am thankful for quiet corners and comfy couches. 
 
I am thankful for my little baby Ferdinand. I am thankful for the adventures we had and the memories I will cherish. I am thankful for the vet who spoke with tenderness and sensitivity. I am thankful that he never has to be sick again. I am thankful that our last few days together were spent in peace and comfort, and I am thankful for international phone calls.

The Girl From Texas

I just recently returned from a missions trip to the Dominican Republic, and I miss it terribly. This post is part reminiscence, part testimonial. I could talk about how this country has impacted my life for days, but I will attempt to condense it down into a blog post. This was my fourth year, and each year I learn something new about myself. This year’s theme was identity, and the last night of ministry I had to opportunity to share a little bit of my story with the youth. I thought I would share it with y’all as well. So this is (a small part of) the story of me. (p.s. there’s another one of these coming, because the DR gives me a lot to say)

For the past couple of days we have been talking a lot about identity: how it is formed, what it means, and why it is important to have an identity rooted in Christ. I wanted to share a little bit about how I tried to form my identity in something other than Christ, and the setbacks that came with that. My dad is in the Army, which means I moved around a lot as a kid. By the time I was 19, I had lived in 10 houses and four states. Moving around from place to place meant I constantly had to introduce myself to new people. Trying to make new friends every couple of years meant I had to find something that made me different. I couldn’t risk being lost in the crowd. In attempt to stand out, I tried to root my identity in places. I could be “the girl from Texas.” I could emphasize loving heat, cowboys, and flat plains. I really did like those things, so it was easy to make it my life. Texas was “home” and no where else could live up to home. After all, I was “the girl from Texas.” It would make me cool, different, and someone people would want to be friends with. Or so I thought. Throughout middle and high school, through Georgia, South Carolina, and New York, I was “the girl from Texas,” and that was good enough for me. Maybe it was pride, but I just wanted to be different. But then I graduated high school and went to University. In Texas. I could no longer be “the girl from Texas,” because I was in Texas. Everyone was from Texas. I wasn’t special anymore. I wasn’t different. Everyone liked cowboys. I didn’t want to be “the girl from New York,” where I had just moved from, because I hated New York. For a little while, I tried to be that person anyway, but it wasn’t the same. I couldn’t play that part. My identity had crumbled around me, and I needed to find another one, fast. I poured myself into my studies, and I spent a lot of time praying through the many hardships of freshman year (like being terrified I would not make any friends, forget to take a midterm, and fail all my classes. What can I say, I’m an extremist…). I became very involved in the church I go to. I started volunteering with the youth group, meeting church friends for breakfast, and anxiously awaiting each Sunday morning worship. Don’t get me wrong, I was involved in church before, and I have always loved going to church, but somehow this was different. Church of the Resurrection became my family when I desperately needed one (my parents were still in New York). They were the people who loved me through my doubts and failures. I discovered that in relying on God to get me through a crumbling identity, He had given me a new one. An identity rooted in Christ. Jesus met me in my constant struggle to be different by giving me more compassion for those in need, more passion for youth ministry, more friends who loved me despite my faults, and more joy in seeking His will for my life. An identity rooted in Christ is forming me into the best I can be. I can’t just be “the girl from Texas;” I have to be the girl who loves Jesus.

#ODP14 Day 13

 

So I’m slowly catching up to posting my outfits on the right day, but until then you get pictures from a few days ago. On day 13 it was chilly and rainy, so layering was the best option. Lots of people had a lot more layers than I did.. I’m pretty sure it was the first day under 55*, and I saw at least five winter hats, eight scarves, and even a pair of gloves. For 50*+ weather… I texted my mom this news and her response was “It’s 40* here and I’m going to walmart in a fleece.” Ahh, the joys of winter in the South: the cold really isn’t all that cold!

 

Here we have yet another example of the fact that I am incapable of taking a serious picture… It’s OK to laugh at me, I laugh at me too!

#ODP14 Day 7

 

So remember two days ago when I mentioned that I hoped The Dress would be dry for my 8am class? Yeah, it wasn’t… I woke up at 6:30am to a very wet Dress. I rigged up my hair dryer to blow on it while I was in the shower, but it didn’t make too much of a difference. I kept blow drying it until 10 minutes before Alexa and I had to leave for class, but it was still kind of wet. I wore it anyway; that’s the great thing about Texas: your clothes (and hair, actually) dry really fast in the heat. The reason this post didn’t get written yesterday is my evening was quite full with other activities. I went to TWU’s Wind Symphony fall concert (it was lovely, great job everyone! Also during the concert my friend, Victoria, asked a question that a lot of people seem to be hung up on: so do you wash the dress? Yes, people, I wash the dress. I’m not a cavewoman) and then a few friends and I camped out by the fountain to watch the blood moon come out. We tried to find a roof we could camp on, but all the doors that lead to roofs were locked, unfortunately. By the time the eclipse actually started our group was down to two, but it was still loads of fun! The moon was beautiful. I didn’t get any pictures of it because my camera doesn’t think the moon is anything more than a blob of yellowish light… But anyway, now you know why I’m a day behind with pictures. Did any of y’all see the blood moon? If so, what did you think about it?

 

#ODP14 Day 6

 

Here’s to t-shirts, no make-up, and ponytails. Today was just one of those days (#monday). It was also a day spent almost entirely inside doing homework I had neglected over family weekend, so looking presentable wasn’t really a priority. I wore The Dress with a gifted t-shirt, thrifted pink Sperry’s, and a gifted rose headband. I’m washing The Dress for the second time tonight (the stink was starting to come through the perfume today…) and I’m really hoping it will be dry for my 8am tomorrow. I’ve decided to only hang it to dry to try to minimize the damage caused by washing it. We’ll see how that goes, I suppose (haha, accidental rhymes)! Happy end of Monday, reader!

#ODP14 Day 4

Happy Saturday, readers! I found a fun new place to take pictures today, which shows that good things come from exploring campus with your grandma. I think it might be the arts department, but to me it kind of looks like an old motel/jail. There’s even a note on one of the doors that said “dear janitor, please do not clean this room, we will clean it.” Weird, huh? It was also pretty chilly this morning (I know, I know, Texas chilly has nothing on what my parents are experiencing right now..) so I wore my fuzzy lined purple tights, a purple sweater, and the same converse I wore yesterday. Shout out to my mom for convincing me to buy those converse, I literally wear them at least once, but most of the time twice a week. We spent the rest of the day hanging out on campus and around Denton, which was pretty fun! One pretty exciting thing happened though: I went to introduce my grandma to one of my professors whose office is in the library and she tells me she just finished grading something I turned in like two weeks ago. This was an assignment that I was SUPER worried about, because I had to base all my information and writing off of chapters we hadn’t covered in class yet.. So I nervously take the paper from her and come to find out, I got a 100! *insert happy dance* I hope your day was as cheerful as mine!