Dressember Day 14: Christmas + A Collaboration

Christmas is a time of year marked by giving; giving which is a reminder of the ultimate gift given to us, salvation through Jesus. I've been talking a lot about giving since I started participating in Dressember, an initiative to raise money and awareness to help end human trafficking through International Justice Mission.

In the spirit of giving, I'm sharing some great ideas for holiday gift-giving that give more than once. The items featured on my Give & Give Back board below give back to great people, organizations, and causes.

Ornament: We Chose You. // Shoes: Toms. // T-Shirt: Sevenly. // Candle: Claro Candles. // Necklace: Sevenly.

Book: Bob Goff. // Sweatshirt: Walk in Love. // Cards: International Justice Mission. // Bag: I'm Me.

One item not included on the board is a gift I'm offering. For anyone who donates $25 or more to my Dressember challenge by December 19, 2014, at 6 p.m. CST, I will give you a unique, hand-lettered, frameable quote, like the one below.  

(This gift is contingent upon the donor providing his/her email address--at the time of donation--through which I can contact him/her to obtain a mailing address and preferred quote. For donors who are located within the Iowa City area, I will personally deliver your art to you.)

This art is completely one-of-a-kind, hand-written on premium 110 lb. cardstock with waterproof, light-fast Indian ink. It is not a print. I didn't include it on my gift board because I can't guarantee delivery by Christmas. However, if you are local, I may be able to get your art to you by December 25.

Want some art for yourself? Click here to be automatically taken to my Dressember donate page. Please make sure to include your email address and leave the opt-in box checked. Also, don't select the "make donation anonymous" box or I will not be able to contact you.

 

Dressember Day 14

Day 14 was a little different style-wise than pretty much every day before it, thanks to a Christmas party at our church's youth group! So, this is one way to wear an ugly Christmas sweater, Dressember-style. ;)

I wore my simple black Loft dress from day 3 and day 9, check them out for two other ways to style it. I paired it with leggings, boots, and this gorgeous sweater from Ragstock. And then topped it all off with a Santa hat, of course.

Dressember Blogger Collaboration

Through this wonderful thing called Dressember, I've had the pleasure of getting to connect with some other bloggers who are also participating in the challenge. We're all hoping to change the world through this campaign, and we love using our blogs to let the world know what we're up to.

I think again of this quote from the Dressember Foundation:

"Dressember is both an opportunity to advocate for the inherent dignity of others AND a chance to step into a creative + collaborative attitude that flies in the face of one of competition + comparison. We believe we are better when we join forces, when we get creative with what we have, and use it for good."

I'm so happy and excited to join forces with these women and turn our blogs into places to share what we're doing and why we're doing it. Dressember is about dignity, femininity, freedom, justice, and collaboration. I invite you to meet, and check out the blogs and fundraising pages of these fantastic ladies!

Beyoutiful Hope is an ethical fashion and faith blog. It features ethical, sustainable fashion, lifestyle, and travel tips through the lens of a sister in Christ.

Beyoutiful Hope's Dressember Fundraising Page

Cozy Reverie is an art and style blog. It features Amy Watkins's personal style, original artwork, and occasional adventures in sunny Southern California.

Cozy Reverie's Dressember Fundraising Page

To Live Beautifully is an inspirational blog about focusing on the uplifting and the beautiful things in life. Started by Kynley Michal as she sought after a happier and healthier perspective on life with posts about life lessons, fashion, beauty, decor, and local explorations around Denver, Colorado.

To Live Beautifully's Dressember Fundraising Page

 

Tea n' Hunny is a poetry and lifestyle blog. It features Safra Bacchus as she relays cultural fashion, emotional experiences, and her struggles as she tries to pursue her goals. 

Tea n' Hunny's Fundraising Page

Styled by Laurajane is a personal blog featuring Laura's outfits, photography work, and occasionally reviews of various ethical fashion companies. A lot of the posts revolve around Noonday Collection, the fair-trade jewelry company that Laura is an independent ambassador for. 

Styled by Laurajane's Fundraising Page

Dressember Day 13: It's Bigger Than a Dress

After I first decided to participate in Dressember, I started going through my closet to see which dresses I could wear throughout the month. As I was rummaging through my closet, I came to the last dress hanging there in a cloth bag. My wedding dress.

I haven't touched my wedding dress since it went into that bag. But after I saw it hanging there, I started thinking about how I could make it a part of Dressember.

I came up with the idea of wearing my wedding dress on Christmas day, but I felt like I needed a reason to wear it. So I made it an incentive; if my donors and I could reach my overall fundraising goal by Christmas day, I would wear the dress.

Christmas is in 10 days, which means we have 10 days to raise $640 and reach the $1,000 goal. But it's not really about the wedding dress, or any dress for that matter. My hope was to find a creative way to encourage friends and family members to join with me in supporting something I believe in.

I believe that every that every human life is sacred and special. This belief affects a lot of things I do, things I support, and things I don't support. One of the things I do support currently through Dressember, and have supported in the past, is International Justice Mission. It's an organization with a heartbeat for the sanctity of human life.

If you believe like I do, will you join with me in helping to fight injustice in the world? Your gift to Dressember will help to bring freedom, justice, and restoration to people who desperately need it. It doesn't have to be grandiose, or more than you can afford. Any amount will go toward the good work that IJM is doing.

If you want to give, come on over to my Dressember fundraising page. If you're still thinking about it, check out the page for more info, or some of my other posts on Dressember. Thank you for considering supporting this cause! Together we'll change the world.

Dressember Day 13

For a comfy-cute look on day 13, I paired an olive green t-shirt dress with an oversize beige cardigan, both older pieces from Target. I paired them with leggings, a plaid scarf, a braided headband and circle stud earrings, all from Loft. To finish everything off I added a pair of cowboy boots.

Here are the details on this look with some of the same pieces I'm wearing or similar substitutes.

Dressember Days 10 + 11 + 12: Another Story

A few days ago the Dressember Foundation shared this story of rescue from IJM with participants. Sometimes victims are rescued more than once, and I love that IJM doesn't give up. The fact that they choose to keep fighting makes me so glad to be supporting them.

Have you been considering supporting Dressember? I know this time of year can be a tough one financially, but you don't have to give above your means. Even a few dollars can help to change a life. So far Dressember participants have raised over $200,000. Whatever amount you give will help grow what has already been given and encourage those who have yet to give.

If you want to give, or you're still not sure, please check out my fundraising page for more info. As always, I would love to talk with you about this if you have questions. You can also check out this post, in which I answer the questions I'm most frequently asked about Dressember.

Thanks for considering supporting this cause, and for supporting me; I couldn't do it alone!

Dressember Day 10

On day 10 I brought out a new dress for the month so far, but it's one that I've had for years. I guess I'm kind of a pack rat when it comes to clothes, but when you find something good, it's hard to let go. The dress, belt (which has been making lots of appearances this month!), and boots are all from Target. I like to pull out the blue flowers in the dress, so I paired it with a cobalt blue Forever 21 sweater. To keep warm, since this dress is pretty summery, I put Elle ponte pants underneath.

Dressember Day 11

On day 11 I brought back the striped Forever 21 dress from day one. I layered dark gray leggings underneath and for a pop of color, added a berry scarf. I did some Christmas shopping at the mall on this day, so I just threw a light olive jacket from Loft over top. (It's not in the picture, but I included it on my Polyvore board below.)

Dressember Day 12

Day 12 featured another restyle with the navy dress from day four. I guess I can't get away from the open cardigans with this dress because I paired it with an Aztec-print sweater from Ya Los Angeles. For warmth I added my gray Forever 21 sweater tights and boots.

Here's the Polyvore board of shopable looks that are the same or similar to the items I wore.

Coming Soon: The Whole30 Returns

Graphic created with Studio.

We're getting together our biggest group of friends yet to participate in the Whole30 and we'd love for you to join us! It's 30 days of good, clean eating; a diet cleanse to help reset your system, weed out what's hurting you, and start fresh.

What better way to kick off the new year than with a new you?! And let's be honest, a 30-day-long resolution is a lot easier to keep than a year-long resolution.

What's the Whole30?

Find out everything you want to know about the Whole30 on the official program website. It's the place to start. It explains the diet (a 30-day cleanse), the reasoning behind it, and what it will help you accomplish.

This isn't the official program site, this is my personal blog. I'll be using it as a place to chronicle our adventures, share recipes, and facilitate group support and encouragement. (See step four on the page I linked to above. If you do the Whole30, you will need the support.)

Why should I do the Whole30?

You shouldn't do it just because we're doing it or because someone tells you do. You should first, do it because you want to, and second, decide that you want to do it for yourself. Maybe that sounds like the same thing, but it's important to want to do it because you want to help yourself.

If you're looking for more reasons, check out some testimonials. Here is a post I wrote after completing my first Whole30 in 2013. You can also read comments from health experts and testimonials from people who have done the Whole30.

If I participate, what do I have to do?

Like any diet or program, there are dos and don'ts, things you can eat and things you can't. The great thing about the Whole30 is that you get to eat. It's not a juice fast or a scam program. You get to have real food, good food, during the Whole30.

You can dig a little deeper and find the rules on the Whole30 site, but simply stated, it cuts out dairy, sugars/sweeteners, grains, legumes/beans/peanuts/soy, alcohol, and MSG/sulfites/carageenan. Also, participants are instructed not to weigh or measure themselves for the duration of the Whole30. (Personally, I like this rule. Delayed gratification is a good thing.)

If you want to do the Whole30 with us (a collective of friends in the Iowa City area), and you're local, we'll definitely be doing some meals together and encouraging each other along the way. If you're not local, get in on the action through my regular blog posts. You can check back here throughout the month, or (even easier!) sign up for email updates and get my posts automatically. Just put your email address the "Follow by Email" field in the sidebar and never miss a post!

What happens after the Whole30 is done?

The Whole30 liberates participants from the tyranny of processed, over-sugared, unnecessary items we have come to call food. It shows us how we can survive well on good, wholesome foods, and feel amazing in our bodies.

So after it's done, it's up to you what you want to do. (Although the program does have a great list for you to complete.) You can keep doing the Whole30 if you really like it, or you can do a modified version.

One really great thing you can do, as recommended by the program, is reintroduce the foods you weren't allowed to eat during the Whole30. You remain on the Whole30 while reintroducing the "disallowed" food groups over a period of 10 days. This way you can see how certain foods affect your body/sleep/etc.

Want more?

You can find lots of information on the Whole30 site, and in the book "It Starts With Food." You can also check out blog posts about the Whole30 written by my friend Cami. She's how I first heard about the program and she has completed it multiple times. You can also leave questions for me in the comments, check out my past posts about the Whole30, or contact me.

You in?

If you decide you want to participate, let me know! I would love to talk details with you and add you to the list of participants. It's my goal to weave a strong support group, share delicious food and recipes, coordinate hang outs/work outs, and make this an enjoyable experience for all of us. Comment below, talk to me, or shoot me an email. Let's do this!