$30 Project |
I'm Lindsay and I started to this blog in 2010 to try and pay off my credit card debt. (I finally managed it in late 2012!) I set a budget for every year. They've gone as follows: spending no more than $30 on any single clothing item, spending only a $100 per month, and budgeting $1,200 for the year that I could spend whenever I liked. I've never once broken the rules! In 2013, I have a $1,000 budget. Questions/Concerns can be addressed care of thirtydollarproject@gmail.com or tweet me! @30dollarproject for outfit updates and @LindsH for the various musings of my everyday life. |
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Sweater: GAP via Beacon’s Closet $9.25, Shorts: Uniqlo $25, Espadrilles: Macy’s purchased with gift card, Sunglasses: Old Navy $8, Belt: JCrew purchased with gift card, Necklace: Forever 21 $10
So ready for the freaking weekend.
I want to talk about this whole Mindy Kaling “cutting off” her hair for some weird plot line on her show. Basically the whole message was, “ladies with short hair are totally less attractive, who wants to sleep with them, lol.” (Also the ease of short hair can be a myth depending on the person. Longer hair was easy for me. Hair products were never involved and on bad hair days, I just put it up in a bun. Now I don’t have that option.)
This touched a tiny nerve in me because a.) Mindy Kaling looks pretty cute with short hair and b.) f**k Mindy Kaling for this plot line, srsly.
Look. I’d be lying to you if I said that the pixie doesn’t bring out some interesting reactions in men. Some hate it. Some love it. Some are totally into it in a really weird way that I will not describe here so as to spare you. I had several very disheartening experiences when I first cut it off. Men who had known me for a while stared at me like I was some kind of alien life form. (Upside, the reaction from women was universally positive.) I like to think of my pixie cut as a filter. Men who are able to compliment and understand that it’s about a lot more than just my look, those are the dudes that I want to kick it with anyway. Also, I feel way more attractive and confident with short hair than I ever did with long hair. SO THERE, MINDY KALING.
And maybe it’s just because I live in Brooklyn, where the pixie is not some kind of anomaly but rather worn by many women with lots of different styles, this whole thing shocked and puzzled me.
Chopping off your hair ain’t always some weird sign of mourning/sacrifice/horrible mistake, okay?
Total cost of the outfit = $52.25
Remaining budget for 2013 = $527
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Notes"That we now think of such peasant fare as fancy or elite, while regarding the tossing of pricey filets of meat on the grill as simple food for the masses, represents a complete reversal of the historical situation. There has always been a trade-off between time and technique in the kitchen and the quality of raw ingredients. The better the later, the less of the former is required to eat well. But the opposite is equally true. With a modicum of technique and a little more time in the kitchen, the most flavorful food can be made from the humblest of ingredients. This enduring formula suggests that learning one’s way around the kitchen–knowing what to do with the gnarly cut, the mirepoix, and the humble pot–might be a good recipe for eating delicious food without spending much to make it. These are skills that confer a measure of independence.
But there are ethical implications here as well, about the way to approach the eating of animals, and the environmental issues the practice raises. If we’re only going to eat the prime cuts of young animals, we’re going to have to raise and kill a great many more of them. And indeed this has become a rule, with disastrous results for both animals and the land. Nowadays, there is no market for old laying hens, since so few of us know how to cook them, with the result that much of this meat ends up in pet foods or landfills. If we are going to eat animals, it behooves us to waste as few and as little of them as we possibly can, something the humble cooking pot allows us to do.
"from Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation (pg. 147)
MICHAEL POLLAN SAYS EAT YOUR SOUP. IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR WALLET AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
(Also, a mirepoix is mostly sauteed onions, celery, and carrots. See, it sounds fancy but it’s not even.)
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Linen Dress: thrifted from Tea and Tulips on sale for $24, Shirt: Target $20, Braided Sandals: Cole Haan thrifted for $10, Head Scarf: Belt from an ancient dress, Woven Bag: thrift store in Utah $1, Geode Necklace: gift from stone & honey
Pay no attention, I’m just dressing like your third grade art teacher. Again. (Sometimes it just happens and I don’t know why, OKAY?!)
I do love the crispness of a blue, white, & brown color palette and I like the mixture of chambray and linen. That’s a little match made in heaven. I include a lot of color in my wardrobe, so it’s nice to take a step back and wear more simplified pieces.
There’s a reading tonight at Pete’s Candy Store and you should come! We have Fiona Maazel and Peter Trachtenberg on deck! Plus I can drink again now that the Whole 30 is over so you can totally buy me a whiskey, thanks guy.
Total cost of the outfit = $55
Remaining budget for 2013 = $527
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NotesNew Solange!
“Looks Good With Trouble” by Solange (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
I am SO glad that she’s released a full-length version of this song. It was one of my favorite from her EP even though it was just a snapshot of something fuller. Making it longer allows the song room to breathe, to fully expand. Sonically, it sounds magnificent in my headphones, so full and lush and heavy. Adding Kendrick Lamar doesn’t hurt, of course.
I’ve been in the mood to make a few reckless decisions. Maybe this can be the soundtrack?
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Polka Dot Tee: Hand-me-down from Miss Beca, Shorts: Beacon’s Closet $7.50, Ruffle Cardigan: Old Navy $20, Oxfords: Target $18, Tights: Banana Republic purchased with gift card, Woven Bag: thrift store in Utah $1, Rock Necklace: Nobletown Vintage $20, Pendant Necklace: vintage via my Nonnie, Snake Bracelet: Charlotte Russe $4,
I’m stopping by the Met tonight to see the new exhibit, so obviously I had to dress as punk as possible. (ahem)
Was that whole thing not totally ridiculous? Say what you will about Gwyneth Paltrow, but at least she admitted that it sucked. For the record, I would totally make a flan with Gwyneth Paltrow and eat it while we talked about how we’re indulging because usually we don’t allow ourselves refined sugar, while getting drunk on some selection from her expensive wine cellar. I would do it and I wouldn’t even feel sorry and then we’d be best friends.
Anyway I’m kind of in a bad mood this morning, but here is my outfit with some mixed patterns and new shorts. You can like it or not, that’s okay too.
Total cost of the outfit = $70.50
Remaining budget for 2013 = $527
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Neon Tee: GAP $10 on sale, Leggings: Uniqlo $25 with hemming, Jean Jacket: BCBG Max Azria owned since college, Saltwater Sandals:Available here for $40, Woven Bag: thrift store in Utah $1, Locket: The Market NYC $30, Ring: purchased years ago from a street vendor in Philly
Right after I wore these leggings last, I was cooking and olive oil went splashing everywhere. (And yes, I know that this is somewhat of a weird, disturbing trend in my life.) I thought that the leggings were totally ruined.
But then patterned pants started appearing as a huge trend for spring and a little idea came creeping into my head. With a little bit of time, fabric paint, and a stencil (cost about $6 total for the entire project), I remade the leggings and covered the olive oil stain.
I’m quite pleased with how they turned out! Aren’t they pretty funky? They’re obviously not perfect, but that makes me like them more.
Total cost of the outfit = $47.50
Remaining budget for 2013 = $527
Follow the $30 Project on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
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Photos
There’s more than one way to wear platform wedge leopard-print booties.
Previously:
There’s more than one way to wear black & blue.
There’s more than one way to wear a navy sweater.
There’s more than one way to wear a pair of red pants.
There’s more than one way to wear pink scalloped shorts.
There’s more than one way to wear a leopard print skirt.
There’s more than one way to wear a chambray shirt.
There’s more than one way to wear a little print dress.
There’s more than one way to wear a navy pleated skirt.
There’s more than one way to wear a denim skirt.
There’s more than one way to wear a pair of denim shorts.
There’s more than one way to wear a yellow maxi skirt.
There’s more than one way to wear a little denim dress.
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NotesHOW’S THAT FOR A HUNK OF MEAT, EH?
Three more days, you guys. Three more days and I will have officially completed the Whole 30. AND THEN I AM GOING TO HAVE A BIG OL’ DRINK.
Honestly, I miss alcohol. I am semi-troubled by how I miss alcohol in fact. Because when I consciously chose to give up alcohol for 30 days, I did not think that I would bemoan its existence in my life. I’ve done it before and I’m not a big drinker anyway. But those stressful days. Those days when you want to come home and plunk some ice in a glass and rattle it around when you’re sloshing back a few sips of whiskey? Those drinks I do miss. Those drinks I would still like to partake in. Those drinks are waiting for me.
What have I have been up to this week? Oh, just been thinking about meat. (That’s what she said.) I finally took a trip to The Meathook! And then I paid $44 for a 5.5 lb. pork shoulder and I almost died! So now it’s time to talk about the economics of this whole way of eating. It can be put off no longer.
A pork shoulder is traditionally a super cheap cut of meat. I’d pay maybe $9 or $10 for it at the regular grocery. So why did I choose to pay four times that price? It’s a reasonable question and one I asked myself. I would be lying if I did not say that the price made me choke.
But let’s just look at that pork shoulder. It’s beautiful. Truly. I’m not being clever or quippy here. The color is rich, the fat is nice and thick, it’s all lovely and marbled. In the regular grocery, it would be a weird, unnatural beige kind of sickly color. The layer of fat would look like the underside of your shoe after a season of NYC sidewalk-wearing. The freshness of this pork shoulder is a reason in and of itself.
Also, while I am just as subject to our culture’s idea of cheap food as the next person, I also don’t necessarily believe in it. Yes, there is a part of my brain that screams, “DEAR LORD THAT IS SO MUCH MONEY, OH MY GGGAAAWWWDDD,” there is also a part that says, “You are putting this INTO YOUR BODY. Should it not be good for you?” And since I spent a lot of time in my earlier life ignoring that later voice (i.e. alcohol consumption and so many cigarettes), as I creep on up in years, things like my own health and the health of the environment start to weigh on my mind.
But if food politics ain’t your thing… here’s simple economics.
I cooked that pork roast. I froze half of it. So far I’ve eaten it for breakfast with spinach and eggs everyday this week. I’ve used it every night in stir-frys or these make-shift spring rolls thingies that I whipped up using cabbage leaves. I still have enough for the weekend, plus the other half in the freezer.
So that’s… let’s say… 28 meals. TWENTY. EIGHT.
How much is that per meal? That’s approximately $1.57 per portion. And it’s a meal that you would pay upwards of $15 for at brunch in Brooklyn.
So, it makes more sense now. Don’t it?
Now for recipes this week!
I’ve been making my own almond milk, which means that there is a lot of crushed almonds left over. I tried this Paleo Chicken Bastila to get rid of ‘em. Warning, it’s labor intensive. Also when I scanned it, I thought that the cooking time would dry out the chicken and it did. (Should have followed my intuition there.) I actually prefer it cold and I have been adding a little more olive oil to counteract the dryness.
I used this Carne Asada Marinade on the pork and then I used this method to cook it! I’ve been splashing this Tomatillo Avocado Salsa all over everything! I recommend them all because they make you feel like a stellar chef and you don’t even have to do much aside from plan. You basically mix a bunch of stuff and then toss them in the crock pot or blender, but people will think that you are entirely fancy.
Promise.
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White Tee: GAP on sale for $7, Studded Jeans: via Beacon’s Closet for $7.50, Wedges: Spotted Moth $33 on sale, Belt: JCrew purchased with gift card, Elephant Necklace: purchased 5 years ago at a boutique in LI, Bracelets: vintage via my great-aunt
IT’S FREAKING FRIDAY. This week… took it right out of me, folks.
I am cashing in my bets with a white-tee and jeans combo. Simplicity, people. Simplicity.
But let us not forget the details. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t have studs on your jeans and your belt. There’s no reason you can’t add a bunch of jewelry. There’s no reason that you can’t wear your platform wedge cheetah-print booties because they’re good for all occasions and everyone has a pair of these, right?
Total cost of the outfit = $47.50
Remaining budget for 2013 = $527
Follow the $30 Project on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
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Notes"It often bothered Travis afterward to think that if the dog had got loose at another time, perhaps just as the motorcade passed, messing up the precision and timing of things, or if it had thrown itself under the wheels of the presidential convertible in an act of sacrifice, or leapt into the President’s lap, what followed might not have happened. This so gnawed at him on some nights that he lay awake wondering just how many unknown and similarly inconsequential accidents and bits of happenstance were at this moment occurring or failing to occur in order to ensure of his next breath, and the next. It gave him the sensation that he was tottering on the tip of a flagpole. He was poised on circumstance."from The Round House by Louise Erdrich (pg. 152)
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