30 Days Makeup Free.

Monday, July 8th, 2013.

That's my 30 day NO MAKEUP anniversary.

No face powder. No mascara. No blush (not that I ever wore it). No. Makeup.

I guess it was an unconscious decision to try this out. I have nothing against makeup. It's fun, it makes me feel pretty, it's quite often sparkly.

It's also a way for me to think bad thoughts about myself. Those sneaky, pesky "I can't leave the house because I haven't got makeup on!" thoughts. The kind of thoughts that make me think I'm ugly when I look in the mirror because my makeup is messed up or because I haven't put it on for the day. That's just not mmmkay with me. I didn't want to feel like I HAD to wear it anymore. When you HAVE to do something, it's no longer fun. It's something you're required to do. It's a pressure on your chest that makes your heart beat a little faster. It's an excess that we've come to believe is a necessity.

Over the past year, I've worn less makeup. That's a pretty dramatic shift for me. I used to wear tons of eyeliner. I used to wear foundation AND powder AND bronzer. I used to put on eye shadow in three different shades and then put glitter on top of that. I did do exactly that the last time I wore makeup. I had on more makeup than ever. I was in a wedding line and had my makeup professionally done.... it was fun... but I felt like I was wearing 10 pounds of crud (beautiful crud!!) on my face. I didn't like it.

The day after the wedding, I couldn't bear to put on makeup again.

The week after, I still couldn't do it.

Two weeks later, I stopped carrying my makeup bag with me everywhere I went.

Three weeks passed, I didn't even think about putting on makeup as part of "getting ready."

Now a month later, and I'm pretty much okay with idea of saving makeup for special occasions. For the days when I want to play with makeup. Night out on the town or feeling sassy? Add a little mascara, sure. Going to the grocery store? Fuhgetaboutit.

I have no idea if this is something I should be proud about. I'm always fighting a war against negative thoughts. They tend to creep in on me if I don't actively work on stopping them. Body image is something we all struggle with, so you can easily guess that's a sore spot for me. Letting go of the mascara is an experiment I'm trying out to see if I can be happy with the naked face I see in the mirror.

It seems to be working.

Anyone else ditching the face powder? Loving it or hating it? I'm thinking the best part is that it's been so damn hot and if I was wearing it, I'd be sweating it off anyway. ;)

Selling my crap = awesome.

Nic and I have decided we simply have too much STUFF. It's amazing, the things we have collected in the (almost) 5 short years we have been married and lived in this house.

A 1950's freezer that still works...
A pool table...
A matching set of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls...
Chandeliers, mismatched chairs, 3 aquariums, a mountain of kid toys, an extra sewing machine....

The list goes on and on. What I am amazed at, is that I keep selling it off, and it's WORKING. To me, it's useless. To other people, it's worth paying for. I love it. I've always enjoyed buying other people's crap, but now I understand the rush of the other side. Making money off what you can't or won't use. Ca--Ching!

I haven't even scratched the surface of our garage which could possibly hold the key to the lost city of Atlantis or a chest of pirate gold. There are boxes that haven't been opened since we moved in. Who knows what I will find in there? Some of it is as simple as listing the item and waiting for a reply. Other things are more fun because I get to re-paint, spruce, and otherwise put my mark on before adding a price tag. Old awesome frames that have no pictures? Repaint and sell as photography props! A whole collection of old glass bottles? With a little acetone, I'm working on turning them into glasses and candle holders (which will be the start of my etsy shop if I can get the method down.) I tell you, with each thing I sell, I am becoming more and more giddy and less enamored with the things that clutter my home. It's a game, and one I'm sure to continue to enjoy until I have all that STUFF out.

I think I finally understand the love of minimalism, the idea of living without things you don't need, for which I will now preach like an evangelist. Do we need a pool table that we play two or three times a YEAR? No. But we do need the space in our garage so we could maybe actually park a car in there. Does Lily still need her huge play kitchen that takes up the WHOLE extra room downstairs? Not really, but we could use the room as a place where I could play craft mama  or as a bedroom for Sage someday. We always complain that our house is too small, but I am starting to think it's just because we live with so much.

So if in the next while, you notice me randomly posting my stuff for sale online (LOVE the Beg, Barter, or Sell group I belong to on FB for this), it's not because I'm broke, going crazy, or harboring a secret etsy addiction. (Ok, that last one might be close to the truth, haha.) It's because I am now in love with finding the right person who thinks my trash is treasure! :)