Make, Do, Mend | A New Year’s Resolution

The past year has given me the gift of change – something I appreciate both for the challenge and the newness. We’ve gone from a family of three to four, we upped and moved to the country, sold our first home and I quit my long time fashion blog. It was a big one for us! 

I think 2018 is going to be great too. I’ve been changing my artistic focus from clothing and personal style to making my house a home. I love interior projects – everything from sewing pillows (like in my bedroom) to cutting and installing new window casing (like my upper living room). When it comes to the actual stuff in these rooms, I’ve found myself turning to craigslist and thrift stores (or what Adam sarcastically calls my hoarding of decorative items I have collected over the years and live in the attic/garage/basement) and have outfitted the spaces with some really awesome second hand finds. In fact, going to Goodwill and ReStore has become part of our weekly routine. I get a huge thrill out of turning someone’s discards into something special in my place! 

So with the spirit of creativity and frugality, my goal for 2018 is to Make, Do and Mend! The saying was popular during the second world war and encouraged people to do more with what they had and to upcycle instead of buying new. And that’s what I’m aiming to do. Specifically, I’m cutting myself off from first hand purchases. So unless I can thrift it, get it second hand or make it, I don’t need to buy it. Of course consumables (food, toiletries, lightbulbs and project materials) will be ok.  

Along with not buying new, I’m going to be doing some major purging with my closet. I’m ok with the fact that I don’t have a use for many of these pieces anymore and they should be passed on to someone else for a new life.

Fresh starts, new beginnings. Happy New Year, my friends.  


Comments

4 responses to “Make, Do, Mend | A New Year’s Resolution”

  1. Mireille Wells Avatar
    Mireille Wells

    Been purging my closet and been taking pictures of my outfits to demonstrate to myself that I enough clothes and do not Need any more. I also set a quarterly budget for clothing. Hoping to be strong and follow through. We are moving into larger house and will need some furniture. Hoping to find a farmhouse table , some chairs and also some stools on Craigslist. Happy new year!!

  2. Christina Davis Avatar
    Christina Davis

    Any advice for those of us who are emotional closet hoarders? A combination of a love for vintage, a low-income upbringing (can’t get rid of anything still "useful/valuable!"), and a delusion about what I’ll end up wearing one day have left me with a closet(s) that is WAY too full.

    1. Jessica Quirk Avatar
      Jessica Quirk

      There’s always the one year rule. And the vintage pieces are what I struggle with as well! They generally don’t go through the same rigorous purge that my other pieces do. It’s also helped me to sell clothes, make a little money and decide what I want to buy next, which lately has been nothing!

  3. Angie Ricketts Avatar
    Angie Ricketts

    I love purging! Instead of taking my purged clothing to Goodwill, I’ve started taking it to Cactus Flower on Kirkwood. My daughter Caroline works there! Donating or consigning to local boutiques helps keep them thriving!

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