My Happiness Project - The 100 Dresses

A few months ago I read a wonderful book titled, "The Happiness Project".  I loved it so much that I bought a copy just to reread and take notes in.  The author, Gretchen Rubin, had an awakening one day on the subway that led her to living and creating this great book.  What I really liked about Gretchen was that she was already a happy person but wondered if she was getting the most out of life.  That is how I would describe myself, I'm a very happy person by nature and choice but I wonder if I'm as happy as I could be. 

In contemplating this I realized that many aspects of my personality have changed over the years, some for the better and some for the worse and some just because.  I look back to when I only had two little girls and a heart full of dreams.  At that time I think I was the most ambitious person I knew - nothing scared me and I didn't hold back.  I had a pretty big dream at the time and I made it happen.  It's one of my favorite chapters in my life.  I think about it often and break it down into why it was so great and what was I doing then that I'm not doing now.  First of all, I have three additional children now and out of necessity my goals and dreams had to change.  What fulfilled me as a "young mother" no longer interests me.  I know what I would have to sacrifice or compromise and I'm not willing to do that...I actually tried for a bit but my inner voice screamed "Nooooo!!!!" (interesting story for another day.).  So I often wonder, what is my dream now?  What do I want most in this life?  What do I want to work for?  I'm happy with my life, I love my children and my husband.  I love what we are creating, although there some things that I would love to change, overall we are in a good spot.

I think I was feeding Houston when it came to me..my favorite book as a child was The Hundred Dresses.  Have you read it?  Do you own it?  Eleanor Estes won a Newbery Honor in 1945 for the book. You need to read it to your kids before school starts!  It is the most wonderful story of a girl named Wanda who was so very poor but mentioned to the school kids that she had a hundred beautiful dresses in her closet at home.  I won't spoil it for you, I'll just say that Wanda has inspired me to create 100 dresses.  I don't know how long it will take (I'm definitely counting the ones I've already made.) BUT I will do it.  I'll post my dresses here and what I'm going to do with them is still in development but I have some thoughts.

Dress #1. The Shabby Apple (before and after)

#2. The Prairie Maxi (before and after)

 



#3. Silk Sequin (no pattern)

 

#4. Color-block Maxi

 

#5. Magenta Maxi

 

 

 

#6. Allie's baptism dress. (First and only time I've used a pattern. Can't wait to try a pattern again!)



 

 

#7. Kate's baptism dress.

#8 and 9. Girls' Fall Dresses

#10. This was actually my first dress. Skirt to Dress Re-fashion

#11.  Will debut this week!

I'm so excited.  Many of them are just "re-fashions" or changing things up but I love the creative process and I know I'll learn so much along the way!