Life Style Project and Categories Part One

So I chose for my categories, GARBAGE, EATING, and my own created category, MAKING MY OWN CLOTHES from recycled materials or previous clothes and fabric scraps. I have been doing these changes for a week now and they have considerably affected me and my family. Originally I planned to go through with this without telling them, but the only problem I had the first day was when I came home and my bowl of compost was gone. It was also hard reasoning with them that I was not hungry for any dinner, when really, I could not face my mother when I would have to say "no" so fish. So I told them about my ambitious project, and they were not too enthused, but still said they would help out and try to remember to compost fruit and veggies. 

When I started composting, I put a large bowl on the counter where I usually prepare food and can put it in the bin. I realized I had developed the bad habit of not thinking of what I was cutting up to cook and still putting it in the garbage. It was quiet an epiphany: My usual way of going about doing things has to change now, and I feel like I caught myself doing something stupid, like when you wake up and grab a wine glass instead of a bowl for your cereal. I wondered where is my brain? I put the bowl here for a reason, why cant I remember that while I space out and peel my food, or something. I realized how little awareness I had in going though doing mundane things, and how such a small thing like composting, with time, could make a big change in the house hold chores. Now everyone in the house had to become aware. With that, I vowed to try and be aware, and pulled the banana peel and strawberries from the garbage can.

I have changed the way I eat and what I eat. I first was so ambitious I wanted to try to detox first. Two days full of running around town without a mere sandwich, riding 3 horses and all sorts of parties for events in downtown, I realized it was going to be harder than I thought. So I started slow. I set up things I could eat and couldnt eat, and arranged menu options to suit my taste. 

FRUITS

VEGGIES

RICE (BROWN)

JUICES

WATER

VEGGIE BURGERS

WHAT BREAD

RICE CAKES

BEANS (LENTILS, CHICKPEAS)

SOY MILK

WHAT OR RICE OR FIBER CEREAL

DARK CHOCOLATE 70%

AND ANYTHING FROM SOY JOY (indulgence item)

At first, in writing this list, I felt lazy and hungry, and felt that this "diet" thing was going to be impossible to stick to. I tried to be optimistic and say "Hey, I wont feel fat after a meal!" or "I might lose weight easier!" I thought the food would be boring and bland, since all I had around the house for fruit were bananas and apples. And veggies didnt look so good in that freezer. I sucked it up and got some veggie burgers. At lease I remember that these didnt taste bad at all. I worried that I would wake up at 5am saturday mornings and not feel like riding or going to the barn to scoop poop all day, and end up sleeping in, getting calls from my trainer upset with my laziness, all because I changed the foods I eat and dont have enough energy. It was actually the opposite. This past week I feel more focused and more energized, more motivated to do things. I am back to being a crazy over achiever with full weekends of stuff to do. But I also found it is not impossible to make fun things like scones or cranberry pancakes, like I did this morning. And the whole family likes it. Just cant tell them it's made with soy milk.

The last part of my life style project is meant to change the way I shop and look at clothes. I must admit that if I like something, it always ends up being expensive. More of the time however, I am looking at a garment and thinking, "300$??? I could make this better myself and for less!" I made my own prom dress in high school, and have since then tried to make my own dressed for special occasions. Now I can take it up a notch, and consider the benefits of making my own clothes from previous or old designs in my closet, fabric scraps hanging around or my own chosen textiles. I can also consider the reduction of transportation and costs of machines for taking the energy to make a garment, along with the 500 other replicas made for the season. 

I was first going to start by going through my closet and seeing what I could change. If I think I could add something to a garment, I could use scrap fabric, yarn, sequins or buttons for flare. If needed I can go to the local fabric store for cheap fabrics, and using different techniques, make a dull boring color or fabric have texture and volume, and look like a high end fabric. I plan on making on article of clothing at first, then two, eventually wearing 1-3 pieces of clothing made by me a week, then three times a week, until by the end of the semester I can wear a completely hand made outfit for the two days that I have this class. This includes everything from underwear to winter wear.