7 day challenge!

Oh, hey there! Thanks for stopping by on this lovely Tuesday. Friends, I need to hit reset. Fall makes me so happy, I feel like this:

But when I look into my closet I feel like this:

I see the same thing over and over. Instead of being nose blind, it's like I'm CLOTHES blind (mmmhmm, Dad joke) - I can't see the good stuff right in front of me!

All kidding aside, I feel blah. I don't need any new clothes. Neither do you, admit it. But, I could use a little creativity and a little imagination. I need purpose, a motivation! So, starting THIS FRIDAY and for 7  whole days, I am going to wear an outfit I have never worn before, with items I already own.

See, the thing about this blog, is that it's just a blog. About my life, and clothes, and things that one could argue are trivial. I spend a lot of time justifying the voice in my head that tells me that writing about fashion is laughable and a waste of time. But I believe in the Butterfly Effect, and if nothing else, maybe you do this challenge with me and you save some money, or your crush compliments you, or you feel more confident than you've ever felt before. And that will open you up for some good deeds, and so on and so on. Also, WHY NOT?

Here's the scoop. Starting Friday, post a pic of your outfit on the 'gram with the hashtag #LRWmademedoit. Let's start a sartorial revolution!

Thank you for reading my not entirely trivial blog. I so enjoy writing it for you :)

Also, I need that plaid suit.

gifs via an extensive google search, will update with links!

30 days, no shopping: recap

Friends, I made it! 30 days, no shopping.  Call me frivolous, call me ridiculous, I accept those perspectives.

I'd love to say that this was so hard for me to do, but really? It wasn't. It was great.

I'm not good at challenges and I stink at delayed gratification. Somehow, throughout this challenge, my resolve never faltered. Sure, there were a couple days where I saw a really good sale pop into my inbox and I'd feel a little bummed (or super bummed, either one), but over the 30 days, I began to develop a nice little inner monologue. "There will always be sales," I told myself. I don't think I've ever uttered that phrase before, 'cause mama loves a deal.

There's something so special about waiting and saving for something you want. This month, my big purchases are not clothes, but things that will help me with this little site I've created: a camera, new photos, a new logo, etc. I have the resources to make that investment because I didn't spend money needlessly on anything last month.

The best part were the things I did instead of spending money shopping. I cleaned my apartment, I hugged Raven, I took Charlie to the dog park, I repurposed old jeans and dug a little deeper into my closet, I surprised Raven with brunch and fancy coffee, I called my friend in North Carolina. Oh, and I started (and finished!) Orange Is the New Black.

It was a successful 30 days, folks, and I encourage you to try it. If you take on the challenge (even for a week), drop me a line here or here.

Happy Monday!

concept from Design Darling, top photo via Pinterest, bottom photo my own.

and the winner is…!

It's official! We're a week into From Scratch for 50 Days: A Creativity Challenge, and it has been inspiring to say the least. We've Instagrammed, we've tweeted, we've liked and loved and commented. 7 days in and you guys are crushing it.

This challenge has me thinking a little differently about every day.  Noticing things I wouldn't normally notice (New York City is so wonderfully peculiar if you really open your eyes), and feeling that itch of creativity when I would normally be reaching for my phone.

Thank you all to those who have participated thus far.  Since we're not fans of hard and fast rules, if you haven't tried the challenge yet but want to…well, there's still 43 days to make beautiful things (or rough, random, messy things)!

And guess what? We're rewarding you all for getting involved. That's right…we've got 5, count 'em, FIVE prizes to give away to the most committed participants in #scratchfor50.

For the third place prize, we're giving away THREE handmade initial bracelets to three lucky participants.

For the second place prize, we're giving away a feature here on little red's well. It's only fair that our readers learn all about you! Nowadays, everyone needs a platform - and we want to give it to you.

The Grand Prize! A FIFTY DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE to one of our favorite stores…Nordstrom!  50 days, 50 dollars. Make it rain!

Yup. This just got real. It's on, friends. 43 days and counting…show us what you got.

What would you create if you knew you couldn't fail?

all images via Pinterest, gif via PopSugar.

from scratch for 50 days: a creativity challenge

Starting from scratch. Oh Lawdy, how we love etymology and we looked this one up.

To start from scratch means: Begin (again) from the beginning, embark on something without any preparation or advantage. The phrase originated in 18th century sports when marks (scratches) were made on the ground and used to define the starting position of the game.

That turn of phrase elicits a peculiar combination of ideas. All of a sudden we're thinking failure, rebirth, discipline, determination, impossibilities, and potential. In just three words no less.

Think about it. You have had countless conversations with friends where the idea of starting from scratch - in a new job, a new relationship, a new apartment, a new city - just seems less than ideal. A struggle. An inconvenient waste of energy. And yet, time and again we still recognize that starting from scratch never becomes the energetic wasteland that we assume it will be. Starting from an absolute zero, without any advantage and riding on pure grit, holds more energetic potential than trodding along the beaten path.

As a culture, we value things more when they come from scratch. When we make something out of nothing. When it seems impossible and we do it anyway. When we start with no advantages and just go for our goal or our creation without reserving ourselves. For example: Cake. Better from scratch. New theatre. Better from scratch. Knit hats. Better from scratch.

What if starting from scratch wasn’t just something we only thought about when we got out of college? Or started a new job? Or moved to a new city? What if we released our dearly held perfection and our unacknowledged complacency? What if we started from scratch every day?

Unadulterated abandon.

Whimsical potential.

Free fall.

There is potential in every moment to create. Creation is not reserved for those with the advantages. The best, juiciest, most energetic creations come out of what the rest of the world might see as nothing. But you on the other hand, you see something. And no matter what that something shapes up to be, the fact that you saw it makes it your never-to-be-duplicated act of creation.

Here at Little Red’s Well, we know a thing or two about starting from scratch. This entire blog was built off of one conversation about clothing. Look around you, you know a thing or two about starting from scratch, too. Did you always live where you live? Were you always surrounded by the people you are surrounded by? Are you waking up every day and living the exact same life, or are you learning something new, meeting someone new, seeing something new each time the sun rises?

The answer is yep, you are. Sometimes, we’re just asleep to it. So in the spirit of creation being a deeply necessary color to our lives - we’re sending out a challenge to our readers and friends. A challenge we believe could change all of our lives for the better.

From Scratch for 50 Days: A Creativity Challenge

Starting on February 19th, you’ll start from scratch and create one new thing a day, documenting it via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, for 50 straight days.

What this is NOT...

...a competition to be the most creative.

...a test to finally create something perfect.

...a process open to judgment or criticism (from yourself or others).

What this IS…

...a challenge to habituate the act of creation in your life.

...a chance to find your own aesthetic.

...an opportunity to affirm your and other’s work.

Creations (could) include (but are not limited to): food, friendships, photographs, a new outfit, energy, poetry, art, music, design, rearranging your apartment, a scarf, making your bed, a fit life, change, and the list goes on...

The point is: there are acts of creation everywhere and you are already participating in them. When we open our eyes to this, we can create with more intention. Do you have a project you can’t get started? Or a relationship you need to mend? Or a crockpot you’ve been meaning to figure out how to use? There are no limitations and no requirements. Anyone can do this.

And there are prizes. (More on that soon.)

To get started - simply create something. Post it via IG, FB, or Twitter. Mention us @littleredswell and use #scratchfor50 so we can see your participation. Each week we will be giving you some inspiration in the form of a hashtag that you can feel free to use or not and to see what other Wellers are creating that week.

We start February 19th. You in?

a little push

With Court's post from yesterday still fresh in my mind, I wanted to quickly talk about my my own take on New Year's resolutions. I hate them.

Alright, hate is a strong word.  Safe to say I'm a little intimidated by them, and every year I like to roll my eyes and pretend I'm above all of the goal making and no-rule-breaking shenanigans.  Because really I'm just terrible at following through with goals.

I was that girl who, if the teacher asked her to sit still in class, she HAD to fidget.  Had to.  Be quiet?  Insta-giggles. Don't, to me, is like a mini invitation to DO.  And vice versa.  So for me, a challenge is something that I not only shy away from, I usually head for the mother freakin' hills.

Why, you ask?  Well, let's break down this phrase.  NEW.  Oh, that's not scary. Change is not scary at all.  Year.  That's an entire 365 days of time.  That's a lot, especially for our 6-second attention span, multi-tasking, smartphone wielding selves.  Resolution- a course of action determined or decided on.  That sounds a lot like "no take backs" to me.  INTIMIDATING, SCARY THINGS.

Or...

New. A fresh start. Year. 525,600 minutes that are mine oh mine to do with what I choose.  Resolution.  What if I decide the course?

I decided that this year, committing to something new was a little less scary to me than staying the same.  A challenge isn't something to roll my eyes at; it's not scary, it's empowering and it's mine.  So in January I decided I wanted to do yoga every single day. To many people this is a silly, teeny goal, but to me, it's a lot. I don't do much physical activity every day other than walks with Raven and Charlie and the occasional workout.  So to get up and move every day- to move with a goal of bettering the entire Allie, not just the physical Allie- isn't just a challenge, it's a welcome push.

Courtney took me to my first yoga class a few years ago, when I was going through a really rough time at work, and that one class took me elsewhere for an hour.  It was kind of magical.  Here's hoping the next 31 days feel the same.

I'll be doing some recaps here and there to check in, so feel free to follow along!

Do you have any resolutions, goals or little pushes for the New Year?

pictures via Pinterest and my iPhone.