There once was a day when a tall blonde girl woke up, looked at the deer grazing outside in the dark, and did not think about an idea to share at Making This Home.  In fact, she proceeded to follow this pattern for several days.  So what could a girl possibly do with this sudden extra time?

I could think of a million things.  Here’s what she came up with:

She went shopping.

She sold her laptop and bought a teensy Mac Mini, giving her a little forced time away from the online world.

That was the good part.  But she didn’t stop there.  Oh no.  Then she broke the No New Clothes Challenge.  The nerve!  Last May, she told herself, “We need to stop buying clothes just because we want to or because we can.”  She told her husband, “Let’s go all summer without buying clothes!”  He happily nodded.  (It was not him buying clothes.)

Their perspective on themselves, on beauty, and on the desire for more changed forever.  It’s been 19 months without clothes shopping unless it was something they really really needed – like those wild and crazy packages of white socks.

A relative was so kind and encouraging to this girl (we’ll call this girl.. oh, I don’t know… Katie).  So anyway, this relative told Katie about a great miracle that could keep Katie warm.  Katie can be a little silly, I’d say. She lives on two continents, and both places get FREEZING COLD for several months a year. Why she didn’t choose to pick at least one warm place to live, we will never know.

All we know is that she gets cold.  She goes on long winter walks in places like this:

Then she gets cold.

So this sweet relative and Katie hopped into the car.  They drove and drove.  The relative did not know about the No New Clothes Challenge; Katie didn’t even mention it.  Then Katie spent $40 on clothes she probably didn’t need:

They’re silk long underwear.  Are they any different than the thick tights Katie wears all winter?  Or what about the Patagonia long underwear she received for Christmas years ago?  Will this silk long underwear be any better than those?

Was it worth breaking the No New Clothes Challenge after 19 months?

You know, I think it was!  I say, “Good job, Katie!” Oh… and if she gets a teensy tiny temptation to purchase any other piece of clothing around Thanksgiving, I personally think she should do it.  (I am pretty sure that I just saw her husband nod in agreement from across the house.)  And what the heck.  I’ll even go with her.