sorry...

yikes, been busy...
i confess bought new clothes, much of the old stuff is gone or going

the weather & my weight makes this difficult

i am having surgery on 2-24-12 & will be unable to walk for 8 weeks- will be in a cast

but i still like the CONCEPT

all the new stuff I have is mix & match...

VIRUS- dANGER, wILL rOBINSON

oops, so my handy-dandy ronco-matic (not really) netbook went kaput- this virus will not alllow internet explorer to open a window, so all my favorites are lost...I am using my son's netbook till my next el-cheapo NOTEBOOK from Amazon arrives. This time, I am installing an anti virus program. After I get all my pics of the old netbook, I will try RECOVERY, which may make the computer functional, but will wipe out all pics, etc.

So my downsizing continues to go well OVERALL, but I ended up eliminating 1/2 of what was in the original 33 & buying new stuff. Then after losing more weight, I started cheating like mad on my diet on Thurs. nite. It is Sunday afternoon & I am DONE! LOL!

I put the xmas tree up at least a week ago & today finished w/ any & all Xmas decorations for the house, WHICH IS DRASTICALLY LESS THAN I EVER HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS...& yes I still have more Xmas stuff for the next Goodwill donation pile. I also have more clothes, boots, costume jewelry, bla bla bla...

posting some pics too...

I confess...

Well, I did drop a few lbs and...I've been inundated w/ coupons, sales etc...so I bought some new stuff in the last 2 weeks. Generally from Thanksgiving through New Years, YOU WILL NOT CATCH ME NEAR A MALL, PERIOD.

I will photograph the items, but most of them are for the next cycle. That is actually 6-7 weeks from now!! Would love to drop 2 lbs a week until then, so I can get rid of the loose stuff & wear the newer stuff...

In the meanwhile, I haven't even worn all of the 33 items, alot is due to the varying weather/temperature. I have another huge bag for Goodwill, including shoes- my feet shrunk alot!!!

what i've worn....

yesterday black pants & print top, today black pants & diff print top...

i bought a few things that will go in the mix...i lost almost 60 lbs in the last 18 months, recently lost some inches (mainly in upper bod)

will add in more when i lose more...when i add in something new, something else gets donated or consigned.

KITTY CAT LOVIN'

I am posting this because I just read another bloggers post, but am too inexperienced on this site to figure out how to email her!

About 12 years ago, I was at a very low point in my life- i do not wish to publicly post why, but I'd tell you in private. Anyway, one of the high points that kept me going were my pets. I had a male cat named Kitty & adopted a tiny lil pocket cat named Brownie, who was amazing...but he ended up being very, very sick & I had to take him to the vet...altho I had very little $ at the time, I opted for surgery & was devastated...it was before Xmas, & I had sooo much of my life already taken from me, I felt like I could not possibly bear one more loss...at the time, my 2 sons & I lived in a tiny apartment literally on the wrong side of the tracks.  It was down the block from a church that had a statue of The Virgin Mary outside w/ one of those kneelie things to pray on...I hadn't been in a church for so many years, but I needed to pray, so being outside was something I was comfortable with. I got on my knees & talked out loud & cried & poured my heart out about many things...I asked for help & said I was out of faith & begged for a sign from God.

The next day, Brownie had another appointment. In the waiting room of the vet's office, right in the middle there was a display w/ a cat cage & a cat inside. I was curious...This cat was trying to rub up against me thru the cage & was purring. I asked the staff who is this cat & why is she here???

"oh, that's Mary, someone put a box on the Rectory of St Mary's Church w/ 2 cats in it on Thanksgiving. When the lady who cleans & cooks opened the door, she found the box, brought it in & opened it. Two cats jumped around. One was a male cat, & she adopted it, but brought the female here. We did not know her name so we decided to call her Mary."

I told them what I did the day before & the room got sooo quiet you could hear a pin drop. The woman behind the desk said " I guess this is your cat." I said yes & adopted her. She was about 5 at the time. Alas poor Brownie lasted till June (this all happened in early December) Kitty died a few years later, BUT MARY LIVED W/ ME FOR 11 1/2 years!!! She was a joy...I lovingly had her put to sleep when she was in so much pain she could not eat. She was purring just b4 she left...I told her many things, including that when my time comes I will not be afraid because I knew she'd be waiting for me. That she showed me more love than any human being ever had. She is buried in my yard. I grieved & could not sleep that night. When I woke up, there was no meowing in the house. Just as there was a miracle years b4 in my acquiring Mary, another one manifested itself.

A few months earlier, my younger son went to a local no-kill cat shelter once a week to volunteer. So Saturday, still grieving I went to the shelter & 3 cats ADOPTED ME!!! One died after 4 weeks; I knew he was sickly when I took him & his brother home. I then got another cat who worked out well & just a couple of weeks ago adopted another who is FIV+  So now I am the crazy cat lady w/ 4 cats!!!

THIS IS NANCi

ALLi & FiREBALL

CHEWY & NANCi

CHEWY-he brought his bro NEO to us for a month...b4 Neo went to Heaven

FIREBALL

Each one of these precious creatures came from a sad start & through Mary's death had an opportunity to come live in a home w/ a loving person...I urge you while you are still grieving to go to a local shelter & adopt & if you are near enough to NY to come to Mid Hudson Animal Aid in Beacon NY. Their cats up 4 adoption are on Petfinder.com & if you wanted to I would be glad to meet you there. We are 30 minutes west of Danbury. Right off i-84

Lil Buddy does not want your heart to be alone ;0)

Loving the Limitations

There is a certain freedom in putting limitations on yourself, specifically w/ your wardrobe. It's mix & match, you know it fits, matches, bla bla bla

Some of my shoes are too big!

Ok, so we are finally getting some chilly weather here in the Hudson Valley- not that I am complaining about NON chilly weather, who wants to pay for heat?

So I put on a pair of nerdy-but-classy black loafers yesterday morning...I could not walk in them, they are just too damn big! They went into the donation pile even though they are just like new- the consignment shop is now taking only boots as footwear & I do NOT want to hold onto these until...whenever. So I guess I should try on all shoes in my home that belong to me.

Why is this the case w/ my shoes? Well I am extremely sensitive to sodium/water retention, & although I am only down 10 lbs, I noticed more inches off & that subtle things, like smaller feet have changed for the positive. I may make another run to GoodWill this weekend, OR I MAY HOLDOUT until the weekend prior to Thanksgiving which is when I put up my fake x-mas tree. This year, I am downsized to a 3 1/2 ft tree, so I will be letting go of many ornaments, etc. If I can deal w/ the pile in the corner of the living room as well as upstairs until then, I can make one run & save on consuming gas...

Yesterday I did buy a new piece of luggage; I've been on a quest for the right size of luggage for a while. Like Goldilox, too big, then too small...did I just get JUST RIGHT???

I feel like my life is coming together since I have been downsizing :0)

Also today I will be picking up a check from the consignment shop as well as what they did not sell...more donations, perhaps???

Yesterday I wore black slax w/ a black walmart top. I looked nice & accessorized w/ costume jewelry. I did not take a pic :0(

a few more purchases...

So I went to the local mall & bought 3 "Joneswear" items: a black cape, a gray plaid/tweed skirt, & a black w/ beige/gold shell. Also a black Worthington skirt. (yes, i went to JCPenney)

The cape is replacing an el-cheapo cape I already have, the 2 skirts are a wee bit snug, but I am confident in my dieting abilities. They will probably enter the mix for Jan-March 2012, but the black skirt may be paired w/ the shell for a Holiday Party, etc.

In either January or February, I will be having surgery on my foot & in a cast for 2 months, will be housebound & probably wearing loungewear & or skirts, so I am sure this will affect my clothing choices :0(

What I notice about Project 333, since you limit the quantity, you can up the quality of what you have :0)

My house & closets have never looked neater...and I have another trip to GoodWill planned for this weekend!

we wear the same stuff anyway...

so i lost a few lbs & fit into 3 bottoms: gray pants, black pants, black skirt. Plenty of tops, but the denim skirt is still too tight. amazing how w/ 3 bottoms & enuf tops, accessories, etc. you can really switch up your look!

i bought a cute empire waist top @ Kmart for $9.99- may switch it out for the purple tank, which was loose to begin with...

today I am wearing the black skirt w/ black boots & the black crocheted sweater w/ a pendant from Chicos :0)

bla bla bla

getting dressed is easier, i do not have to think & my faves are out there...i really want to get more weight off (i have dropped a few lbs in the last few weeks!)

so 2 1/2 yrs ago, i used to belong to a meetup group that went dancing, etc. it was a singles thing. i didn't think i was that fat back then, but i recently found their website & went thru the photo archives..YIKES! i weighed a few lbs less in these pix than i have weighed in the last couple of weeks...

i REALLY need to downsize. the fat blonde on the left is me...the rest of the women are thin...i haven't gone since after the pic was taken, but would like to go back ONCE in 6 mos AFTER i downsize more ;0)

Indian Summer

It was hot today, I wore the purple tank w/ the black lightweight jacket-y thing & black slax & used some slip on bass sandals. Most of my summer stuff is packed away.

So I went to a mall today, ostensibly to find a 3 to 3 1/2 ft Xmas tree-a no go...so I went to several stores & TRIED on clothes but did not buy EVEN THO there were alot of clearance sales...thank you project 333, you saved me $$ today.

NOTE- Kmart does not suck & don't pass by even the maternity section when it comes to clearance. Found a cute empire waist top for cheap in the maternity clearance, but passed on it only bec. I do not need it now...I cannot wait till I really lose a tonage just to go shopping!!! that may not happen till 6 months (may need a few things in 3 if my closet doesn't yield enough)

new/old items-updated pieces & a coincidental match!

so I took more pix today..some of clothes, some of me wearing clothes, LOL!
Funny thing, the teal-ish colored button up sweater I put in a previous blog can be worn as outer wear(duh!) AND matches exactly a teal-ish colored Lucky Brand purse I own! exactly- if I had LOOKED for a match, would never have found it- it was just an odd co-incidence. Also the teal sweater co-ordinated w/ many of my clothes.

Had I not project 333-ed my wardrobe, I would NOT have discovered this :0)

posting pix of the swapped out gray slax, black slax, denim skirt, hot tank for the holidays AND me wearing the sweater & purse (underlit)

HAVE A GREAT DAY! PS wore w/ gray slax today...

Another Trip To Goodwill...

So yesterday I went thru my "stuff" (the non-33 items) & filled 3 of those cheap plastic storage bins with: jeans that still had tags on it-but the fabric felt "stiff", costume jewelry, black felt covered hangers that had anoying "hooks" on them, old curtains, books I no longer cared for & other miscellaneous stuff. Oh & the black stretchy yoga pants, the ratty denim skirt & the jeans that were droopy. Got up early, drove to Wappingers at daybreak & dropped it off, including the BINS. My philosophy is if you keep alot of bins around, it is an EXCUSE to hoard "stuff". I have enough furniture & closet space to store EVERYTHING THAT I NEED & MORE. My goal is to get the extra weight off, so as to limit my clothes to one size, rather than 3 sizes. So my dieting is "being green" LOL!

This morning I perused my bedroom furniture. I have an armoire (smallish) & a lingerie chest. If I were NOT even minimalist, but just mildy minimalist, I should be able to store all of my garbs-even off season- in those 2 pieces of furniture & my walk-in closet could house-a vacuum cleaner, & various needful things.

If I ever get to downsize into a tiny house, I'd have to let go of plenty of my possessions, so I am experimenting w/ that now. I've simplified my food, cooking, dishes, bathing & hygiene as well.

I found a tiny house thru the tinyhouse blog site that is a vaca rental up in Plattsburgh NY. A bit of a haul but I would like to try to spend a night there in the late spring JUST TO HAVE A TINY HOUSE EXPERIENCE.

Swapped out already

The black baggy sweats were heinous, the bluejeans drooped (waist too big) & the denim skirt was raggedy. So I brought out the new-but-too-tight denim skirt, a pair of gray casual dressy slacks  & washed & donated the cast-offs!

PS I am starving!

? HAVE I OFFICIALLY STARTED?

Because I am dieting, I may have to switch out a few pieces. Also, going to have a HOT weekend, after having frost/cold days!

Here is what I wore today...with black boots. PS there is a site which has a free printable project 333 list. It's at http://yourway.net/

I eliminated a few items from my original list & added in outerwear, footwear & purses, as to be closer to the original criteria :0)

Three and a half pounds of water weight AND I may have to swap out a few pieces real soon!

   I admit to being a tad bit OCD & neurotic. I neurotically weigh myself daily, even when I am NOT on a diet. So overnight I dropped 3 1/2 lbs which I am sure was water weight. I also have some snugger fitting clothing in the wings to replace a few of my staples. (bottoms)

   Another denim skirt which fits but is snug, plus a pair of black slax, ditto. Those black sweat/yoga pants I have in the mix right now (Lane Bryant) are gawd-awful :0(

   So, in 10 lbs, I will swap out the denim skirt, the black slacks & perhaps the bluejeans as well.

I LOVE THIS- A NEW THING TO OBSESS ABOUT, LOL!

26 items so far...

So I photographed what I think will be my wardrobe...I have 26 items which is under 33 BUT I am not including outerwear, purses or footwear or jewelry, so...I may edit this in the near future...also after photographing, made me realize how BIG a size 16 bottom really is :0(