Blog – Page 12 – Beverly Army Williams

52/52 Project

closet: January 2011

I mentioned my new dressing-with-less endeavor, the 52/52 Project back in April, and, at long last, today is my official start date!

“Wait a sec,” you might be saying, you sharp, sharp reader. “I know for a fact that 52 > 33. WTF, Beverly?”

You’re right. I’ve increased my wardrobe by 19 pieces (see how I really can do math?). The other 52 in the project title means 52 weeks. So instead of 33 items for 3 months, I’ll have 52 items for a year.

Let me share some of my self-made rules, with a tip of the hat to Project 333:

This is not about suffering. If an item gets shabby, I will replace it. If an item no longer fits and can’t be altered, I will replace it.
Work out clothes and undergarments are not included in my list. Work out clothes are not to be worn for anything other than working out.
Jewelry is lumped together as one item. I have culled my jewelry collection to the pieces that I will not get rid of. It’s a small, sentimental collection.
If I make it, I can wear it. I’m not a prolific seamstress or knitter, so this doesn’t add more than a few shawls, hats, and maybe a sweater or two to my wardrobe.
Outerwear does not count. I don’t have a lot of variety with coats, so I’m counting outerwear as one. I don’t buy these things in excess; to me they are necessities of living in New England. I’ve pared coats down to trench, jean, cloth, and short winter jacket.
I can exchange one item that is not working each month. My goal is to create the most versatile, elegant, small wardrobe possible so that this transforms from a project to a way of life.

Want to see my list? Of course you do!

Grey sheath dress
Gray pattern dress
Eileen Fisher dress (I don’t own this, but I plan to order it)
party dress (floral)
Red spring/summer dress
Gray spring/summer dress
Liberty of London summer dress (white)
Liberty of London summer dress (blue)
Rita
Gray skirt
Jean skirt
Denim wrap skirt
party skirt (black)
black tank top
black tank top (need to purchase second one)
black v-neck t-shirt
white blouse
red blouse
denim shirt
lace blouse
Floral short-sleeved
Floral button down short-sleeved
black cardi
cashmere cardi
gray cardi
Gray turtleneck
Black cap-sleeved shirt
Black long-sleeved shirt
Black turtleneck (to be purchased)
Black velvet blazer
Camel cashmere capelet (wait until you see this! I bought it in France this summer-divine!)
Jeans
Green pants
Black slacks
Skinny jeans
Black slim jeans
Malibrans
Pearl Harts
Flip flops
Ballet flats
Chinoa boots (these need repair)
Ugg sneakers
Ugg boots
Danskos (these may get swapped…I haven’t worn them often in the last year)
Frye boots
Spike sandals
jewelry
Orange Kate Spade handbags
Leather bag purchased in Mirepoix, France
MZ Wallace bag
La Trop

I’m one item short, and in the next week or so as I pack away anything not on the list, I may find an item I don’t want to do without. What wouldn’t you want to do without in a minimal wardrobe?

If you’d like to join me or start Project 333 (you can start any time; there’s no reason to wait), but you’re feeling a little anxious about cutting down the wardrobe, I recommend you start with Courtney Carver’s excellent Micro-Course Dress with Less: Click here to view more details.* The course is a week-long, and it includes pdf worksheets, playlists to inspire you (Courtney’s a real Mix Master), and access to a private FaceBook group, where you’ll find lots of people ready to cheer for you and answer questions.

And if you have any questions about paring down your wardrobe, well, I’m here for you. I’d love to chat with you about your clothing list-sometimes it helps to hear that you really can get by with one pair of black pants!

*Please note: I am an affiliate for this program. I believe with all of my heart in Courtney’s work. Having done Project 333 for almost 2.5 years, I know her advice works!

Find 20 Minutes: Stress Less

Note: I’m delighted to welcome Sandra Pawula as a contributor to the Find 20 Minutes series.

What could you do with 20 free minutes?

Bang out 500 words of your novel
Strengthen your body with push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, toe touches, and maybe a bit of hoola hooping
Sketch your surroundings
Write a letter
Weed a flower bed
Nap
Play catch with your kids

I’ve led a very high-stress life and have suffered personal consequences: a frazzled nervous system, chronic health issues, and a deflation of joy.

When you’re on the stress treadmill and the speed seems to incrementally increase, you’re just trying to keep up and stay alive. Do you know what I mean? So I never thought for a moment how much time stress might be stealing away from the very essence of my life. But, now I see vividly that stress may be one of the worst time thieves alive.

Here’s how less stress will help you find 20 minutes and, maybe, far more:

1. Be more productive. Chronic stress can lead to fatigue, exhaustion, lack of focus and motivation, sleep deprivation, anxiety, or depression. It’s pretty hard to do your best work when you feel like a zombie, and it sure takes more time. When you’re less stressed, you’ll have the energy and enthusiasm to meet your tasks head on and finish them in record time. That leaves at least 20 minutes for lolling about or whatever else you wish.

2. Make fewer mistakes. Chronic stress can impair memory and concentration. Remember the last time you forgot to “save” and it took hours to recreate that email or document? Or when you showed up at the wrong time for that critical appointment with your boss? How many times have you misplaced your keys, wallet, or glasses in the last few weeks? What about those notes you need for writing your book or the pattern for your current knitting project? Hours and hours are lost making and fixing unnecessary mistakes. Less ongoing stress means more clarity of mind and that adds up to extra time.

3. Spend less time at the doctor or psychotherapist. Studies show that 60-90% of doctors’ visits are for stress-related illnesses. The list of suspected stress-connected disorders goes on and on starting with heart disease, stopping off at diabetes, and taking a turn at immune-related dysfunctions. Eating disorders, anxiety, or depression – all thought to have a link to stress – can have you spending countless hours with a shrink or even hospitalized.

4. Indulge in fewer fights. Stress can make you feel edgy, to say the least, and consistently lead to regrettable outbursts of red-hot anger. You’re a good person, but you can’t seem to get a handle on yourself. Or maybe you always feel irritable or on the edge of tears. All this leads to miscommunication, which often sets off terrible fights. Once the argument is finally done, not only are you wiped out, it can take hours or even days to repair the emotional mess. And sometimes, it’s impossible to fully rebuild the trust. Reduce your stress to take off the edge and have more time for happy and healthier relationships.

5. Live a longer life. Stress might take hours, months, or years off your life due to its link with so many different disorders, diseases,and plights. People subject to chronic stress often turn to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs for relief, none of which are likely to extend your life.

Get smart now. Get smart early. Reduce stress to find 20 minutes and maybe even hours or years of your precious life.

Sandra Pawula is a freelance writer, mindfulness advocate, and champion of living with ease. She writes about finding greater happiness & freedom on her blog Always Well Within. Her new e-course, Living with Ease: 21 Days to Less Stress begins on Sept. 9th, and you can register right now.

Meaningful Microbusiness

My journey to creating my microbusiness began in 2009, before I’d ever heard the term. I wanted to share one of my super powers with the world: I can see the next draft of a story or essay before it is written (pretty cool, eh? That’s what graduate school does for a person!), and I started Open Road Writing.

I was kind of half-hearted about the whole thing. If work came my way, I was delighted. I did some public relations, but I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on the business. When school let out in May, I’d get gung-ho about the business, and when I returned to campus in September, the business was on its own. I was frustrated. I felt like a failure.

And then in 2012, I made the best decision I could have for my microbusiness: I joined Courtney Carver’s Goodblog Project. I’m a fan of, well, everything Courtney does. She’s smart, generous, savvy, and no-nonsense. She taught me to be more fluid in how I approach my business, how to connect with people. How to be myself, not who I thought I had to be, to do business. And she taught me to let go of what I don’t love doing. How to let go of Open Road Writing and embrace my crafting and writing as a whole, here. How to write e-courses, offer consulting, write patterns, lead writing workshops and crochet classes and have it all unified. When I do work for PoMoGolightly, I’m doing my best, favorite work. Who doesn’t want that feeling?

The Goodblog Project no longer runs. But Courtney is now offering a micro-course that I love and want to share with you. Create a Microbusiness* is filled with pragmatic information about running a microbusiness, as well as encouragement to believe in yourself and to connect with people. Courtney infused the course with her values and urges you to do the same with your business. Her way of thinking and acting, simply put, feels good.

Create a Microbusiness includes pdfs, videos, sound tracks, and audio…AND Courtney’s holding a live Q&A webinar on Tuesday, August 27. The course is self-paced. I know I’ll be working through the materials more than once. So if you are thinking of starting a microbusiness or want ideas to help you run your microbusiness more meaningfully, I hope you’ll take a look at Create a Microbusiness.

I have to ask, dear reader: do you run a microbusiness? Do you want to? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

*I am an affiliate for this course. I admire Courtney’s work tremendously and believe in the usefulness of this course.

Find 20 Minutes: Wardrobe Edition

What could you do with 20 free minutes?

Bang out 500 words of your novel
Strengthen your body with push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, toe touches, and maybe a bit of hoola hooping
Sketch your surroundings
Write a letter
Weed a flower bed
Nap
Play catch with your kids

For most of my adult life, I’ve had a love affair with my wardrobe. I loved to shop. My stylish mom ravishes sales with her keen eye and frugal nature and lavishes me with her finds. I love to finger fabrics, to try on shoes. I love the promise of a new purse.

But look at the ways this love affair steals time:

shopping and trying on clothes
maintaining clothes
creating outfits
trying on clothes to find the just-right fit and perfect outfit for the day

I moved my giant wardrobe from my little New York co-op (oh, it had a closet worthy of my wardrobe) to my adobe casita in New Mexico (featuring two big closets! For me, just one person!) to the little yellow ranch in the woods of Connecticut. Little all around. Little-tiny-crammed closet became the new wardrobe normal.

And it was too much. I spent way too much time dealing with my wardrobe. I couldn’t see what I had; everything was crammed together, which meant I had to press clothes every morning. I had no sense of what needed repair. The time thief was winning.

One decision thwarted the thief.

Three years ago, I joined Project 333.

Sure, I resisted it, even as I longed for it. Thirty-three items? How could I possibly?

Let me distill how Project 333 (or a similar endeavor; the numbers are arbitrary) can help you find 20 minutes:

1. Less time shopping. If an item in my minimal wardrobe wears out, I decide if I want to replicate or replace it. In either case, I strategize before I buy. I know what I have, so I don’t spend much time wondering if a replacement will match anything in my wardrobe. And I no longer shop as a hobby.

2. Maintenance is a snap. I have less laundry, and because my closet is not crammed, clothes don’t crumple in the closet. It takes me a matter of minutes to asses the state of hems and buttons.

3. Mix and match. Everything goes with everything in my wardrobe. I selected a neutral (gray) and chose my wardrobe around that. I’d be willing to bet that I can get dressed with my eyes closed and not embarrass myself.

4. Everything’s Perfect. I also eliminated clothes that were not really my style, which I’d call tailored romantic. If they don’t fit my style, they don’t stay in my closet. I feel like my outside reflects my inside every time I get dressed. My wardrobe may be limited, but it takes me through work days, teaching workshops at the local yarn store, dinners out, and tromping around the 4-H fair.

If you’ve been toying with the idea of dressing with less, I recommend you start with Courtney Carver’s excellent Micro-Course Dress with Less: Click here to view more details.* The course is a week-long, and it includes pdf worksheets, playlists to inspire you (Courtney’s a real Mix Master), and access to a private FaceBook group, where you’ll find lots of people ready to cheer for you and answer questions.

What are your tips for finding 20 minutes in your wardrobe?

*Please note: I am an affiliate for this program. I believe with all of my heart in Courtney’s work. Having done Project 333 for almost three years, I know her advice works!

PS: Want to find out where your time is hiding like so many quarters under the sofa cushion? Registration for my micro-course You Have Time is now closed, but you can sign up to be notified about upcoming sessions!

Exploration: Poetry

I'm spoiled by my lovely writing porch. — I’m spoiled by my lovely writing porch.

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a prose writer.

I ~~like~~ love sentences. I’m all about story, narrative arc, character development, emotional truth.

But the poets. Oh, the poets! They do astounding things with words and images. And I’m pretty convinced that the poets write better sentences. Something about the compression of language, the playfulness of their genre adds up to lovelier prose when they tackle it. Take Dana Salvador. Take Cari Luna. Yeah, they started as poets. And their prose rocks.

Since I have a personal policy about envy, I decided to spend the summer exploring poetry. I created a syllabus, and while I haven’t made it through the entire syllabus, I have learned some things:

I like assignments. I’m an industrious student and will do what I’m told with the expectation that I will learn from the assignment.
Sometimes I resist assignments, and it’s a good thing to sit with resistance. It can mean that I am not willing to do what is difficult or it can mean I have a better idea. The former requires a little self-care (my poetry subject is about being childless. Writing about it is sometimes hard for me, but I’m compelled to the subject.), the latter requires exuberant rebellion.
Willingness to suck can lead to surprisingly good results.
Balancing reading about writing poetry with writing poetry is working for me. I have learned a lot and been able to apply what I’m learning immediately.
I like practice better than theory.
Playfulness matters.

I’ll continue to play with poetry, keeping an emphasis on play. Exploration is about living in a state of what if? There’s no place I’d rather be.

This post is part of the Exploration Party – a celebration of our inner explorers, led by Tara Swiger of Explore You. You can find other tales of adventure from artists, crafters, writers and biz smarties – and share your own story – right here.

#Roadtrip Prize Winner

Thank you to all the writers who participated in the #roadtrip project. I hope you had as much fun as I did!

Want to take a look at some of the excellent postcards? Check out the Flickr group to see them.

And…randomly pulled from the list of participants as winner of the Et Voila Design Roadtrip Necklace* is…. (wait for it)

Colleen, the Subway Knitter! Congratulations!

If you’d like to receive the 2014 Road Trip writing prompts in your email, click here to subscribe to the #roadtrip prompts, and connect with me on Twitter!

*contact Sara if you’d like her to make a #roadtrip necklace for you!

Find 20 Minutes: Kitchen Systems

What could you do with 20 free minutes?

Bang out 500 words of your novel
Strengthen your body with push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, toe touches, and maybe a bit of hoola hooping
Sketch your surroundings
Write a letter
Weed a flower bed
Nap
Play catch with your kids

One of my own biggest time thieves comes at me through the kitchen, but I have ways to thwart that thief! Here are some tips for creating systems in your kitchen to help you find an extra 20 minutes.

1. Everything in its place. I could probably prepare a decent meal in my kitchen blind folded (don’t fret; I’m not going to try). I’m the primary cook in the house, so I impose my logic on the kitchen. Refrigerated foods go in the same location every time I use them. Tools, canned goods, and spices have their own special spots. A little time organizing in a way that makes sense to you, not a kitchen designer, will save you time.

2. Meal plan. This simple change has saved me at least an hour a week. Once a week (I do it on Saturday evening in the summer, after I’ve picked up my CSA share), I decide on the meals for the rest of the week. I find any recipes I need, create a grocery list, and add the menus to my Google calendar. One weekly grocery trip, no dithering about what to make for dinner: these add up to free time.

3. Limit variety. I know, I know. It’s the spice of life and all that jazz. I limit the recipes I try–once I have my out-of-the-park pancakes, I don’t go looking for more recipes. During the winter, two nights a week are soup night (yay slow cookers). Every Tuesday I fix the same dinner. I’ve eaten the same breakfast (with Sunday pancakes as an exception…it really is a good recipe) with little variation since 2002. These little efficiencies equal extra time for the rest of my day.

4. Use fewer tools. Lots of people love kitchen gadgets. It’s fun to buy new tools, right? Those tools may be stealing your time, though. When Neal gutted our kitchen in 2009, I packed away all of the kitchen tools but the most basic: my French knife, a cutting board. I loved the simplicity of having less clutter. Since then, I’ve added more tools back into the kitchen, but a lot of what I packed away four years ago hasn’t returned into rotation. Less clutter makes it easier to find what I need as well as making clean up easier.

5. Clean up as you cook and immediately after eating. My grandfather used to chide my gram “don’t undress the table.” He wanted to linger and enjoy having his family around him. I get it, but I get Jennie’s method, too. The faster clean up is completed, the easier it is. Easy clean up (wet splatters are easier to clean than dried splatter) takes less time.

What are some of your kitchen systems that help you find time?

Writers #roadtrip Prompt: Week 5

Home.

Your task over the next few days is to write a piece of flash fiction, a micro memoir, or a poem
(or more than one if you’re so moved) inspired by the prompt, with one catch: it must fit on the back
of a postcard.

These prompts are for you. Use them as they inspire you. Give yourself the pleasure of surprise,
the joy of some time to write and complete a small piece.

Since every road trip is better with good tunes, here’s a mix to enjoy while you write.

Be fearless, writers! I can’t wait to see what you create!

Sara at Et Voila Design has created a pendent to give away to one lucky #roadtrip writer! Be sure to let me know by Sunday night where I can see your postcard and get entered to win this beauty. I’ll post the winner on Monday!

Silver Locks Project Update

It has been 14 weeks since I last colored my hair. This week, I measured 1.25″ of silver growth at my part line. The silver and gold (ok, blonde, but humor me) blend surprisingly well. In fact, my most honest critic (hi, mom) has had nothing but compliments about the color. Now I’m impatient to lose the gold and sport only silver. If my math skills are up to par, and the growth continues this way, I should be all-silver by October 2014. Even though that seems far away, this is far less painless than I expected!

Want to see a picture? Of course you do!

You can read more about my Silver Locks Project here and here. If you’re on Ravelry and considering going silver, the Gray is Okay group is a good resource for encouragement and advice.

Writers #roadtrip Week 4

The signs started to appear 50 miles back.

Snap photos of the front and back of your finished postcards, and share them with the hashtag #roadtrip. You can post them to our Flickr group, share on Twitter, or let me know in the comments
where they are.Really, as long as you label your pictures with #roadtrip when you post them online, I should find them!

These prompts are for you. Use them as they inspire you. Give yourself the pleasure of surprise,
the joy of some time to write and complete a small piece.

And since every road trip is better with good tunes, here’s a mix to enjoy while you write. Thanks, Rae, for this week’s mix!

Be fearless, writers! I can’t wait to see what you create!

To make sure you receive the Road Trip writing prompts in your email, click here to subscribe to the #roadtrip prompts, and connect with me on Twitter!

P.S. I’m gathering prizes for participants! Sara from Et Voila Design is making a writers #roadtrip necklace to add to the prize list! Be sure to check out her site.

P.P.S. This Friday, I’ll post some of the #roadtrip stories for your enjoyment. Be sure to let me know where to find yours!

Home.

The signs started to appear 50 miles back.

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