Dropping the shopping bag.

(Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz, one of my early style influences)

I gave up clothes shopping for Lent. Part of me is ashamed to admit this, because it's such a privileged, First World "sacrifice" to make. I struggle with certain aspects of Lent and hadn't observed it in a while. But this year, I wanted to do something that would honor God in some tiny way and also be spiritually beneficial to me. The weekend before Ash Wednesday, I came home from the overstock clothing store with a bag full of amazing deals, and suddenly knew what I needed to do.

For the last several years, I've shopped too much. Not overspent - most of the time I don't even buy anything. Just performed the act of shopping too much, in my opinion. It started as an emotional Band-Aid in the last couple of years of my marriage, and briefly escalated after that was over. In small doses, I think it was and is fine. But I don't need it anymore, and it was time to show it who's boss, to refocus my priorities and react to unpleasant emotions in a more productive way.

I've mostly been excited about this. But, three weeks in, I have to admit... it's getting tough, you guys. :\ I LOVE FASHION. I miss perusing DSW.com and checking The Limited to see whether that dress I loved is on sale yet. But the difficulty is proof that I needed to do this, and that God has something to teach me through it. So I look forward to whatever that is!

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