A friend of mine texted me earlier this week with a short “You should (please) provide an Instagram update with how the nothing new til 2022 is going! Or tell me. I’m curious.” After reading this, my first impulse was along the lines of: oh crap! I did make a big deal about that into the vacuum of social media back in the beginning of the year and looks like people may actually remember that I did and now I’m found out! Shit! But then I calmed myself for a moment and considered the process that I actually am in with the whole thing - which is not nothing and probably actually quite worthwhile within the lens of holding my own self accountable and actively engaging what I set out to do with relative transparency.
So here it is. First, I have to say that it wasn’t all that long before the detox of the Holiday Spending Snowball that I work so hard to avoid every year and somehow get just as sucked into every single time had loosened its hold on me and I was back scrolling through accounts of independent makers and designers and lusting after their goods in classic Meg fashion. So there is that. Maybe I just needed a detox and not to take such a bold and faultingly firm stand. Oh well. I am a work in progress.
I have, however, mostly, if not entirely, stayed close to the aim of Nothing New til 2022. With a few exceptions and I will share those here. I have been slow and deliberate with all of my purchases in a way that is both familiar yet also deeper and with firmer roots. Relatively early in the year, I realized that I needed a few pairs of undies other than my big ‘ol Shop Arqs which I love but which are also sometimes too hot for me and I had none. So I ordered some easy organic cotton undies from PACT for myself and Maple. I also recently took a friend of mine up on her Patagonia discount and picked up a xc ski jacket for next year along with some swim trunks for Eider. We recently made a summer shoe resupply which I dragged my feet on (bahahaha) thinking that I might have some luck finding a pair or two of gently used Saltwater sandals, but with no luck.
Save a couple of swimsuits for Wilfred, all of the kids’ clothes that we have purchased this year have been from Thread Up or Poshmark, which is essentially what I was doing before and am happily continuing now. Chris ordered a beautiful handmade linen nightgown for me for Mother’s Day and as a consummate nightie wearer, I am happy to have one that will last my many, many wears for a long time to come. It feels like such a treasure.
So, it has been imperfect and yet highly worthwhile and informative. I have never been much of an impulse shopper but I have from time to time spent money on something and then regretted it, and it has been lovely to be free of that this year. I am sitting with my wants in a new way and actually finding great enjoyment and satisfaction by sharing what I have an eye on with one friend, in particular, gaming it out, talking shape, talking fit, talking color, etc. That has been very fun. She also happens to be my closest knitting pal so indulging in yarn and patterns and the delight of the process has also been holding a great deal of my attention in terms of “the new.”
Another big takeaway at this moment is how much I really do love slow fashion and the whole process of creating lasting and meaningful functional/wearable art. I am super into it maybe more than ever and if someone came up to me tomorrow and was like hey meg let’s start this small clothing company I would most likely say yes… But I digress.
Oh yeah! I did get some shirts made for MANY YOGA and that was fun and entertaining. If you watch any of the copious yoga videos that I post or take any of my classes you may have noticed that there are 4 shirts in my rotation now versus 2. You’re welcome.
OK, that’s it for now! Informative? Disappointing? LMK. I am a Sagittarius after all and highly changeable and subject to lots of inspiring whims so if this isn’t the hard fast commitment you were hoping for from me, my apologies. I am into paying attention to where the energy is flowing and keeping things in alignment, even as that varies from season to season. My relationship with the shiny new thing feels pretty well in check now, even with the occasional mindfully made purchase. I am utilizing The Pause to good effect at this moment in time. I will do my best to share another update or two here as the year continues to unfold.
xxx,m