Style Saturday: Don't buy it unless you love it!

-

"Buy less, choose well." ~Vivienne Westwood

Kylee, a sweetheart college student who's in Italy for the summer, asked me to be her personal shopper for the day. Sign me up!

I took her to my favorite boutique, which displays 5-10-15-20 on the door. (Those numbers are the prices!) Usually when shopping, I find so many things I'd like to buy that it's hard to leave it all behind..

Today, we didn't have that struggle. 

Kylee wanted a maxi summer dress. She tried on several, and while they were cute prints, and looked good on the hangers, they just didn't fit quite right.

Boutique owner tried to adjust Kylee's dress so that she'll like the fit better.
We hit two other larger stores, and they were also a miss. Before leaving, we decided to browse.

Kylee found this cute tie tank that she loved and paid 3 bucks for it!
Both of us tried on several things, and put them back on the rack.

Kylee said, "I like to ask myself before I buy, 'Can I wear this with two other things I already own?'"

I found a cute top for a reasonable price. Kylee asked me her wise-before-you-buy question. I said, "Yeah I can wear it with two things, but I don't love it." I put it back.

We chatted how in the past, we both had purchased things that we didn't really need and didn't really love just because we liked them at the moment, or just because we felt like buying something.

And how later, they sat in our closets unworn.

I've been committed to a minimalist wardrobe for the last few years and have found it so enjoyable that it was easy for me to say no today to things that didn't fit my current wardrobe or that would simply be excess. This was not true of me a decade ago!

Even though the stores were a miss, we went to lunch and enjoyed the day! We shared stories of what Jesus had done in our lives, and how God brought us to Bologna. So much more satisfying than shopping!
We capped off lunch with a colorful dessert!

There are so many popular articles on minimalism right now, I don't need to take the time to write them again, but if you're interested in reducing excess, you can google any of these titles below.

Popular articles on reducing excess.
I hope your Saturday is filled with colorful food and good conversation!




Popular posts from this blog

Breakfast Devotions with our Kids: Love is is kind...

-
Image
During the month of February, we meditate and memorize the definition of love from 1 Cor. 13 (You know which ones I'm talking about--the wedding verses. Even Jim and Pam had them recited at their wedding). Our family needs refreshed in this, so it's nice to have this tradition to bring us back to it each year. We read and repeat the entire passage, but then focus on one element daily. "LOVE IS KIND" --today's focus. I asked the kids, "What does 'kind' mean?" Middle sister asked if she could give an example rather than a definition. With permission, she joyfully retrieved two stuffed animals and used them to demonstrate kindness by sharing. Brother and sister followed her lead and also acted out kind gestures between fluffy friends. "Very good," I affirmed them, "You obviously know what it is to be kind." This is where, in years past, I would have ended the lesson. We would adjourn by praying round the table, thanking ...
Read more

Why Am I Here?

-
Image
Journal entry from Sunday, November 15, 2015--after many weeks of being weary from sickness,  lonely for home, discouraged at not being able to accomplish basic things, and feeling pressures from the lack of my accomplishments. So I allowed the presence of Christ to refresh my spirit. You may recognize song lyrics and scriptures He brought to mind, which allowed me to dismiss the pressures and recenter myself in His purposes. I am here... to enter His gates with Thanksgiving in my heart, to enter His courts with praise to say "This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice, for He has made me glad!" to know God and to make Him known, to remember who I am as a child of God, to love my husband and bring him good all the days of his life, to love my children and train them in the ways they should go, to have God's commands on my heart, to have God's promises on my heart, to talk about them when I lie down and rise up and walk about the way and sit ...
Read more

Baltimore

-
Image
Picture from Joy105 blog I feel removed from the pulse of America while living abroad. Honestly, I rely on facebook posts for current events (one week, all I know that happened at home was debates about the color of a dress) ;), yet I can see a small but recognizable change in the posts about Baltimore compared with Ferguson posts: there are significantly LESS prejudiced remarks in my newsfeed, fewer quick and harsh judgements, more compassionate people speaking up. I don't know if that's just my experience?? Perhaps it's because during Ferguson, most of my circle of friends didn't know what to say, so said nothing. Just.like.me. Perhaps it's because a large majority of my facebook family truly walks with Jesus, not "religious rules" people, but people of deep relationship with the Creator of humanity who compels love for others , and they are now speaking with this sentiment:   "I still don't know what to say, but I am paying...
Read more