SHOPPING MY CLOSET

Shopping My Closet

I received a compliment from a friend the other day on the outfit I was wearing.   When she asked where I got it I replied “I shopped my closet”. 

My friend asked where this shop was located and I repeated to her that what I was wearing came from my closet and that I had just “shopped my own closet”!

I explained further that I was not working much these days, basically just delivering some part time Training.  

I was transitioning into retirement mode and trying to cut back on spending and part of my restraint program involved a personal challenge to stop buying unnecessary clothing. 

I have always loved fashion and take great pleasure in shopping for clothes.  The result was a closet bulging with so many items I had a tough time finding ‘anything to wear’! 

New items would be purchased and added to the already overflowing closet and although I did on rare occasions clear out that which I didn’t fit or wear much I knew that I had more than enough to wear without buying more. 

Shopping, although fun and therapeutic at times, had become a costly habit for me! 

My closet is not large and yet it isn’t too small either but I knew it wasn’t more space I needed. 

I needed to organize the space I already had.  This would aid my motivation to ‘shop my closet’ instead of a store.  I devised a plan to clean out my closet and organize it in a way that I could clearly see and find outfits that I actually wore.  In the past I had thought about removing seasonal clothes however it seemed like too much work at the time.  In spite of this I started with the removal process and I eventually removed EVERYTHING with the intention of only putting back what I actually wore regularly!

Having freed up some space allowed me to spread out my outfits and be able to clearly see what I had available to wear.  I tried on everything and if the buttons were bulging or the waistline too tight they were sent off to the Thrift Shop.

I found things that I had forgotten I had.  I discovered ‘shamefully’, outfits I had never worn. 

 

I had more than enough to wear and the best things were jammed in where I couldn’t even see them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now that I have completed this mountainous task I can ‘shop my closet’ and revisit items that are like new.  

So take a peek in my closet and think of me the next time you say “I have nothing to wear” and consider “shopping YOUR closet”!

Author:  Trish Repay (BlackCrowCurios)
visit me at my personal blog:  http://blackcrowcurios.wordpress.com/a-bit-about-me/

TAKE A HIKE

TAKE A HIKE

“You cannot travel the path until you become the path itself”

Ancient Buddhist saying

 

Hiking, besides being healthy and invigorating has always been a pleasurable way for me to spend time outside.  Hiking provides a physical challenge as well as a break from today’s hectic living and offers the tranquility of the forest as well as the thrill of connecting with nature.  Vancouver Island is rich with hiking trails and a moderate climate, allowing for year round opportunities of hiking where we can observe unique ecosystems and an abundance of wildlife and wildflowers.  The pleasures promised by a hike on one of the many trails never fail to tempt me to strap on a pack and lace up my hiking boots.  The scenery at the top of a mountain is without a doubt well worth the effort it sometimes takes to climb there.  Rock outcroppings offer rest spots with breathtaking vistas, eagles soar overhead and birdsong fills the clear, brisk air.  The rewards are immeasurable. 

There are no guarantees that the wilderness you’re hiking today will still be there tomorrow, therefore when it comes to sharing and enjoying nature a little consideration is crucial. More people are finding pleasure in the outdoors and the evidence of public recreation and the effect on the environment is becoming increasingly apparent. 

Even one hiker can have an impact on the fragile wilderness and hopefully we can retain the essence of the outdoors by using good ethics and practicing ‘no-trace hiking’.  Carrying out everything we bring into the forest, treating the forest and the trails with respect and leaving “only our footprints behind”.

So I encourage you to strap on a packsack, lace up your boots and hit the trails.  But before you head out here are a few significant points to keep in mind.

·        Insure that you are physically prepared
·        Carry a fully stocked backpack
·        Break in your boots before the hike
·        Wear wicking socks
·        Research your hike and be familiar with the area
·        Leave a detailed note as to where you are hiking and when you are expecting to return
·        Carry the ten basic essentials

TEN BASIC ESSENTIALS

1.     Water and plenty of it
2.     Food including high energy snacks
3.     Rain gear and change of socks
4.     Hat and sun block
5.     First aid kit
6.     Waterproof matches or lighter
7.     An extra layer of clothes
8.     Whistle
9.     Pocket knife
10. Compass and map of area

Once you are on the trail you will experience the inspirational rewards of embracing the wilderness, just watch your footing, respect the environment and enjoy the moment.

Happy Hiking!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/129391622/hiking-book-hike-vancouver-island-forest?ref=shop_home_active

 

This book was originally written as a tribute to my friend and mentor Marianne who at the time of the first issue was dealing with breast cancer. Marianne is well versed in wilderness safety and taught me many important lessons as we hiked. I compiled these lessons into this Hiking Book to share with you and designed the book to help you plan your hikes safely, and to carry with you as a guide.   Many readers found hope and inspiration in her strength and positive attitude as she dealt with her cancer treatments.  It has been over twenty years since Marianne first guided me on our initial hike together and ten years since the first writing of this book. At the time of the first writing, Marianne had hiked through her breast cancer treatments with the same quiet dignity and strength that she exudes on a mountain trail.

 

The hikes we shared during Marianne’s cancer treatments were not as strenuous as our usual weekly treks and yet they were especially meaningful.  Being on a forest path feed’s your soul and when you are feeling less energetic the essence of the forest energizes you.  The verdant forest, lush greens of the various fern’s, the assorted colors and variations of the wildflowers and the scampering of the forest inhabitants along the trail are a robust reminder of life’s ever changing cycles. Being on a forest trail renews our appreciation for all things living.  

 

Once Marianne’s strength returned we were back hiking with a renewed reverence for life and a reminder of the strength and beauty surrounding us in the forest as it does in our lives.

This book is meant as a guide to both those who are approaching hiking on Vancouver Island for the first time and for others who are already experiencing the pleasures of hiking. This anecdotal and informational account of hiking gives voice to the delight and lessons a trek in the wild imparts.

Author: Trish (BlackCrowCurios)

Question for the reader: 

What are your thoughts on development eating up the green spaces?

 

 

 

THE ART OF PERSEVERANCE

THE ART OF PERSEVERANCE

WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY DEFINITION:

PERSEVERE - TO TRY HARD AND CONTINUOUSLY IN SPITE OF OBSTACLES AND DIFFICULTIES

Many skills are required to become successful in sales. Etsy sellers require creative skills, marketing skills, time management skills, search engine optimization (SEO) skills, sales and customer service skills, and social media and technology skills. And yet all these skills pale in contrast to perseverance, which is the one skill that often, makes up for our deficiencies in other areas.

Having perseverance allows us to be successful no matter what obstacles are placed in front of us.  It isn’t a cake walk to meet sales and marketing challenges head on while wading through the competition and dealing with customer service issues.  And yet many of us know what we need to do and yet we simply don’t do it.

We sometimes spend our time looking for an easy way out rather than using the path of determination and perseverance and doing what we need to do even when we don’t feel like doing it.  We want to achieve multiple sales, lose weight or get rich instantly! We want immediate gratification and we don’t want to do the painstaking, persistent and thorough work that it takes to achieve these successes. 

I personally believe that the ability to persevere is the key to success in all walks of life. Remember the children’s storybook about “THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD?”

Talk about determination and perseverance!

 

I’ve been married for a large number of years and if anyone were to ask “how have you hung in there for so long?”  I would of course first reply that being married to such an wonderful, easy-going, lovable man makes it easy; however I also sincerely believe that having the ability to persevere is also very critical!  In the best of marriages you have your moments when it just seems like too much work and it would be so easy to say “adios my fine fellow” but by persevering through the hard stuff you reap amazing long term rewards. 

We need to practice at being determined and persistent. Whether it is simply exercising, learning a new skill, staying in a relationship or working diligently on our SEO, we need to resolve that we will persevere until the task is completed or we are satisfied with our results and ready to move on. 

Desire may be the key to motivation, but it’s through determination and perseverance while in pursuit of our goals that enables us to attain the success we seek. Perhaps the best technique to conquer the skill of perseverance is to just start. Sometimes just beginning a task is often the most difficult. However once you begin, you pick up the drive that leads to your success and accomplishment.   

Many of us remember being told when we were young that “a job worth doing was worth doing well” followed up with “do it well or don’t do it at all." Perseverance, in my humble opinion, is the one skill that guarantees your success!

What do you think? 

Which skill do you consider to be of importance in attaining success in life?

 

Author:  Trish (BlackCrowCurios)