30 for 30 Outfit Challenge Week 1

I am in the first week of a 30 day Outfit challenge.  In case you are just joining in, the rules are I can only wear some combination of a few of the 30 items each day and I can't wear the same outfit twice during the month.  These are the 30 pieces ( 27 actually) that I chose for the challenge.  I am still deciding whether shells should be included in the 30, which would make up the last 3 pieces (black, beige and white shells).

I think it might get a little annoying to post daily, so I decided to do a few days at a time.

I'm still having a lot of trouble with head ware, which is why I threw on black hats over the holidays.  I guess if I am wearing something casual, I have enough scarves, I feel when I am dressed a bit more fancy, the scarves take away from the outfit.  I am hoping to find scarves that will work better.

Inspiration for this outfit

Head covering from Leelach.com

I think I would have liked something a bit bigger for the necklace, what do you think?

I've linked up to Sunday Style!

29 Elul: Plan or The year of no excuses

Plans are foiled for lack of counsel, but they are established through many advisers. - 

Misheli (Proverbs) Chapter 15

A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord prepares his step. - Mishlei (Proverbs) Chapter 16

For I know the thoughts that I think about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. -  Jeremiah Chapter 29

So here we are, one more post for the year 5773 and just before Rosh Hashanah.

For many reasons, it is starting to feel that this is going to be a time of no excuses.  I have made excuses for so long:

I'm not creative, I'm impatient, I am a stay at home mom, I don't have time, I don't have energy, I don't have motivation...

I'm better than excuses.  I want to live a meaningful life, and I also want to live a beautiful life.  I want to feel beautiful and I want to make our home beautiful.

I took a step.  I've decided to stop dressing so frumpy and start making the outside a bit prettier.  I'm going to do the 30 for 30 outfit challenge.

I've also signed up for my Hebrew class which has already started.

I want to read a book a month (this was also last year's goal, time to reset it).

I am going to go to Shul and aim for twice a month.

I've decided to stop just Pinning cute crafts on Pinterest.  I'm actually going to make some of them.  One a month or maybe every second month.  I figure holidays will bring on a couple of extra.  (Or I could be super organized and do them much earlier).

I'm going to use that feeling of my blood boiling as cue.  I am very aware of it, and I know I feel like screaming (and admittedly, sometimes I do), I need to let it go.  I've found the Orange Rhino, which is focused on parenting, but I think can be applied to any reason for losing one's temper.  I will pick ten strategies (she has 100!).

I want to develop my creativity.  I think doing some crafts can help, but I need to work on my own creativity.  I am going to use a journal and a random generator.  I'm not sure if I can do it daily.  Maybe aim for 1-2 a week.  (Maybe that will be my next 30 day challenge hardy har har).

I will go to my JWRP alumni classes and listen to one other lecture a week, whether it's going to my Rebbetzin's class or an online lecture.

I will exercise again.  I'm not sure what that will look like yet, but somehow I will get this body of mine moving.

My list may seem ambitious, the fact is, I AM a stay at home mom with a toddler.  A big chunk of my day is watching my son play.  So maybe sitting with him with crayons and a journal is a good way to spend some of the day.  Or working on a craft.  Or reading 2 pages of a book (or one page!).  My Hebrew class is set for Thursday evenings, after my son goes to bed.  The biggest chunk of time will be the alumni classes, since it's usually 2-3 hours of the evening.  Shul is on Shabbat, and it is better than just sitting at home.  Outfits, well, I do have to get dressed in the morning.

I will be thrilled if I manage even part of any of these goals.  If it means that I've read more books over the course of the year, have a few pages with colour in my journal and a couple of funky crafts decorating the house, it will mean I tried.  I may only make it to Shul once a month and that's ok.  There  may be weeks when I revert back to plain t-shirts/white shells and that's ok too.  They key is to keep trying and reset and refocus when necessary.

I will stop making excuses, get off my tuchus and with G-d's help make some things happen.

Thank you for reading and following along.  Most of the translations for the Torah (Bible) quotes came from Chabad.org.

May the new year be sweet and filled with joy, good health, peace and prosperity.

Shanah Tovah

from http://blogs.rj.org/george/files/2012/09/rh2012-1-george.jpg

Rosh Hashanah Menu

I get so much inspiration reading other's favourite recipes.  I thought I would share the menu for the Three Day Yom Tov (2 Days of Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat).  It will be "just" us for the at home meals, so I tend to keep them simple.  

Wednesday Night Dinner:  Challah, Harvest Stew (first time making it) with rice and Roasted Green Beans (instead of snap peas, the tomatoes will be from out garden, I've made it before and it is excellent).  Symbolic foods (apples and honey, fish, leeks, beets, squash, carrots).  Honey Cake for Dessert

Thursday meals are out all day!  We will likely have a light early dinner since actual dinner is late.  We'll have the Veggie Pot Pies with some sauteed mushrooms.  

Friday Night:  Challah, Lasagna (from scratch, including the noodles) and salad, and apple crisp for dessert. 

Saturday Lunch - Cholent (beef stew) (and apple crisp or honey cake)

Seudat Shlishit (Third Meal) - Salad with "crab" cakes. (Also my first time making this).   

What are you making?  Any favourite recipes? 

28 Elul: Signed...sealed...delivered

I couldn't find a Torah quote that is appropriate to this theme (any suggestions?).

I remember my parents signing my reading homework as required by our teachers.  My parents signed notes explaining my absence from school.  I occasionally forged my parent's signature when I chose to be absent from school.

I signed leases and home ownership deeds.  I signed contracts for jobs.  I signed checks for debts that needed to be paid.  I signed the back of my credit card.

My University diploma is signed by the Dean of the Science Department.  Our portrait is signed by our aunt.

Each signature is a work of art.  There is a whole science around looking at the loops and lines of a signature and what it reveals about your personality.  I wonder what my messy signature says about me.

27 Elul: Book of Life

And it shall come to pass that every survivor shall be in Zion, and everyone who is left, in Jerusalem; "holy" shall be said of him, everyone inscribed for life in Jerusalem. - Isaiah Chapter 4

R. Kruspedai said in the name of R. Johanan: Three books are opened [in heaven] on New Year, 

one for the thoroughly wicked,24 one for the thoroughly righteous, and one for the intermediate. The 

thoroughly righteous are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of life; the thoroughly wicked 

are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of death;25 the  doom of the intermediate is suspended 

from New Year till the Day of Atonement; if they deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of life; 

if they do not deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of death. - Talmud, Rosh Hashanah, 16B

The whole idea of a Book of Life used to scare me as a child.  There was no way to know whether I've done enough Teshuvah or Mitzvot to deserve another year of life.  There is no way to know G-d's Ultimate Plan.  

The prayers of Rosh Hashanah does give us a formula to at least try to get us in the Book of Life:  Teshuvah (Repentance), Tefillah (Prayer) and Tzedakah (charity).  It is interesting that two of these requires us to connect with people in this world.  We can't do full Teshuvah unless we apologize to the people we've wronged.  By giving charity, we are obviously helping other people.  

The root of the world Tefillah, is Pallel - which refers to a self judgement.  While G-d is judging us, we are forced to take a real close look at ourselves.  

Building my Wardrobe - More lessons

I listed some of the things I am learning about my style preferences in a previous post.  As I look for some basic elements for my wardrobe, I am still learning.

• I think I may to have to give up on wearing boots for most of my outfits.  I just can't seem to make them work.  I bought these ones (and returned them).  They just seemed too long and didn't look right with any of the outfits I put together.  The shorter ankle boots make me look kind of stalky.  I really wanted a brown boot/shoe thing with a heel, since most of my shoes are black black and more black.  I am going to check out brown/cognac pumps and see how I feel with those.  

• I love the black and white striped skirts.  Love them.  They don't like me so much.  I've tried a couple of different widths of stripes, and as long as they are going horizontally across this body...so. not. forgiving.  (update - I bought a black and white striped skirt!  I couldn't take it anymore, I wanted one...I will make it work.  Spanx (or similar)...)

• I think I am going to aim for different coloured skirts with different textures rather than looking for patterns.  

• I am starting to like the leopard print that is in right now.  I don't think I would do a skirt or a blouse, but maybe ballet shoes or a belt.    

I am finding this whole thing really challenging.  I am trying to figure out my style, or maybe even redefine it.  I am also trying to figure out who I am spiritually and somehow these two need to link up or at least agree.  Or something.  

26 Elul: Psalm 27

Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; from whom shall I be frightened? When evildoers draw near to me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies against me-they stumbled and fell. 

If a camp encamps against me, my heart shall not fear; if a war should rise up against me, in this I trust. One [thing] I ask of the Lord, that I seek-that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to see the pleasantness of the Lord and to visit His Temple every morning. That He will hide me in His tabernacle on the day of calamity; He will conceal me in the secrecy of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock. And now, my head will be raised over my enemies around me, and I will sacrifice in His tent sacrifices with joyous song; I will sing and chant praise to the Lord. Hearken, O Lord, to my voice [which] I call out, and be gracious to me and answer me. On Your behalf, my heart says, "Seek My presence." Your presence, O Lord, I will seek. Do not hide Your presence from me; do not turn Your servant away with anger. You were my help; do not forsake me and do not abandon me, O God of my salvation. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord gathers me in. Instruct me, O Lord, in Your way, and lead me in the straight path because of those who lie in wait for me. Do not deliver me to the desires of my adversaries, for false witnesses and speakers of evil have risen against me. Had I not believed in seeing the good of the Lord in the land of the living! Hope for the Lord, be strong and He will give your heart courage, and hope for the Lord.- Psalms Chapter 27

Every year I commit to saying the above Psalm every day from the first day of Elul until the end of Sukkot.  I don't know too much about it.  I think it is an appropriate Psalm for the time of year since it does have mentioned of the sounds of Truah (shofar sounds) and mentions dwelling in G-d's tent (i.e. like a Sukkah).  

I've never taken a deeper look at this Psalm, even though I spend so much time with it each year.  King David is asking for G-d's help from his adversaries, which is the content of many of the Psalms.  I find it interesting (now that I look at it), that he is also asking G-d to hide him, and again asking G-d not to be hidden (which to me seems to add another holiday in the Jewish calendar, that of Purim).  

My other question is that at the end, it seems King David is telling the reader to trust in G-d, but throughout he is asking for G-d's help, shouldn't he taken his own advice?  He even mentions that G-d helped him when even his parents abandoned him.  

Do you know why we read this Psalm daily and not any of the others?  Do you know any deeper meaning of the words?