Thirty one days of dresses.

December 1

December 2 

December 3 

December 4 

December 5 

December 6 

December 7 

December 8 

December 9 

December 10

December 11 

December 12

December 13 

December 14 

December 15

December 16

December 17 

December 18 

December 19 

December 20

December 21

December 22 

December 23

December 24 

December 25 

December 26

December 27

December 28 

December 29

December 30

December 31 

I can't believe it is the last day of Dressember. 31 days of dresses. Wow. Together, we raised $1,360 for International Justice Mission and The A21 Campaign. I was on the front page of the local newspaper, bringing awareness to the issue and injustice of human trafficking. I was an advocate wherever I went, with the dress as my banner. I was a voice for the silenced and scared. I stood up for the forgotten and frail. I made a difference for the broken and belittled. Just because Dressember is over, and I may not choose to wear a dress every morning, doesn't mean I will stop being an advocate, a modern day abolitionist, a feminist, and a freedom fighter. Thank you to my tribe and my town for cheering me on. #youcandanythinginadress, including change the world. If you would like to help me get to my final goal of $2,000 by midnight, click the link, and give generously.

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=573098 

Love, M 

Dressmeber update.

The last few days have been a complete roller coaster. 

I have been participating in Dressember all month long by wearing a dress every day to raise awareness and funds to do some good for the issue and injustice of human trafficking. 

I set my fundraising goal to $200. I figured I could give about $50, so I wasn't asking much from anyone else.

So I wore my dresses, posted my link, and had a couple of people donate. It was cool.

And then the local paper published an article about me doing the Dressember challenge, and the article was shared so many times. Every time I went on Facebook, another few people had shared it and tagged me in it. And I just wept with overwhelmed tears. For years I have been trying to be a voice for those who do not have a voice, and this week, I was able to be a little bit louder. And that is amazing. 

So I met my $200 goal, and decided to bump it up to $500. I could not fathom getting that much, because that's a lot of money, but I decided to just try. 

Within a few hours $500 was reached. I again was tearing up at the idea that my story had brought people to awareness and a place of movement. Isn't He soooo good?! 

Someone asked me if all of the money came in from random people that read the article. And you know what? It didn't. Almost all of it came from my For the Love sisters. They gave $5 and $100, and everything in between. They have been the best support system, and they aren't just talk. They put their money where their mouths are. The other donations were from people I did life with here, and a small number were from people I don't know well. 

But my favorite part about any of it? When people who I know well, and don't know at all, come together and give $1 or $200, it does real good, because we are united. 

I've just been so overwhelmed and blessed this week. 

I've been watching other friends that are doing Dressmeber meet goals and do goofy things to raise more money. 

Often if they raise do much money in a certain time frame, they will wear their wedding dress out in public for the whole day. I don't have a wedding dress, so I kept looking for something else. 

So if I raise $1000 by Christmas afternoon, I will take a swim in a lake, in a dress, in Michigan, in December. #polarplunge 

But seriously. This has been a blast raising awareness and money. The money goes to IJM and A21, where they are on the front lines of this issue. They are rescuing, restoring, prosecuting, and bringing justice. 

Thanks for coming on this wild ride with me. 

If you would like to give, check it out here: 

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=573098

If you would like to read the news article, check it out here: 

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/lifestyle/20151221/clarkston-woman-wears-dress-everyday-in-december-to-raise-awareness-of-human-trafficking

If you would like to learn more about International Justice Mission, check it out here: 

https://www.ijm.org

If you would like to learn more about A21, check it out here: 

http://www.a21.org/index.php

This season. Oh so often my thoughts start with that phrase. This season has been unexpected. This season has been long. This season has produced so much growth and change in me. This season has taught me so much. This season has been so very hard, but it also has been so very good. 

I haven't had a "real job" or a consistent paycheck in nine months. So many things have fallen through. So many things have brought false hope. So many things were just empty promises. So for the past nine months, I babysit/ housesit/ dogsit/ catsit/ fishsit/ elderly sit, and I wait. I trust that there is a plan bigger and better than I could ever imagine, and I wait. 

The biggest thing I have learned about waiting, is that it's not boring or stagnant. It isn't passive or uneventful. This season has been my busiest and most fulfilling one yet. 

I have learned that while I may not have extra money to support causes and bless friends, I do have other things. I have a crazy amount of time to give, to share, to just be with, to listen, and to love. I have a voice that is gaining strength. I can be an advocate, I can encourage, I can bring awareness to big issues, I can educate, and I can share my story. 

I have learned a lot about dreams, passions, and experiences. I have always had a heart for women that are broken. But instead of *just* praying or sending money to an organization, this season has allowed me to be on the front lines of broken and hurting women. 

I encounter prostitutes and homeless women every week. I hold their hands, look into their eyes, and see oceans of pain. This fall I helped deliver the baby of a homeless friend, because she had no one else to call. I have been training to counsel women in crisis pregnancies to know a real, live Hope. I take phone calls almost daily of friends that are crying, and are so tired of how hard this life is. I wear a dress every day to raise money and awareness for the issue and victims of human trafficking. I sit and listen to the stories of lonely women that just want someone to show up and care. I snuggle scared little girls and whisper words of whimsy as they fall asleep. 

I carry them all in my heart, and I carry them all to my Jesus. 

This season of nothing going my way has produced so much goodness. It has been so far from my expectations or plan, but it has allowed for me to know my Jesus in ways I never have before (come over, I'll make coffee, and share story after story of His goodness and provision). It has allowed me to develop my voice and strengthen my story. It has given me a more open schedule to share life with real, broken people, and love them well. It has challenged me to figure out what is important, and run hard after that. It has brought much needed rest and restoration to my life after a long season of raising babies. It has been so very hard, but also so very good. 

No matter the season you are in, you can grow, you can learn, you can make a difference. You can do small things with great love, even in the seasons filled with unknown and waiting. Don't waste your life. 

Dressember

Dressember! 

What is Dressember? Dressember is a collaborative movement leveraging fashion and creativity to restore dignity to all women. Dressember is a simple way to stand up for women who have been exploited for their femininity, women who are broken, women who are trapped in the sex trade, and women who cannot stand up for themselves. 

I will wear a dress every day this December to help raise awareness and advocate for these women. Human trafficking is a very real thing, and I'm not okay with it. We will never see the end of this, if we don't do anything about it. Our generation can end slavery. We can be a voice for those without a voice. We can stand up to injustice, and say, "No more." We can make the choice to bring awareness, be advocates, and make a change.

 "A dress can't change the world, but the woman wearing it can." 

Day One- I babysat, cleaned a house, grocery shopped, and did street minsitry. I had two people at walmart stop me to compliment me on my outfit, and I was able to share about Dressember. 

Day Two- I babysat, cleaned a house, went to the mall with a friend, and later went to yoga. All while wearing a dress. 

Day Three- I babysat for multiple families, and made cookies with a few kids. I didn't wear tights this day, and I noticed my legs got pretty chilly.

Day Four- I twirled a lot this day. I babysat a couple of families, and helped a mom out with housework. I was scrubbing the floor at one point, and ended up laughing pretty hard because my skirt kept getting in the way. 

I am having a lot of fun creating outfits, and knowing that I am not alone in fighting injustice with fashion and creativity. 

If you would like to support me during Dressember, you can donate at: 

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=573098

I've currently raised $51 out of my $200 goal. 

M

Practically Perfect In Every Way.

This year for Halloween, I decided to dress up as Mary Poppins. I sat outside, and handed out candy to over 300 trick or treaters. And I absolutely loved it. 

 

I didn't want to spend much on a costume, and because I'm pretty resourceful, I didn't have to. 

The white shirt was EXACTLY what I wanted (long sleeves, collared, black tiny buttons, and a ruffle down the middle). I found it at Salvation Army thrift store for only a couple of dollars. 

The black skirt, tights, and little booties were all items from my closet from a couple of seasons ago. 

This cute little bow tie is actually from the infant department at Target. I needed it to be just an inch bigger, so I used safety pins at the end. I had originally planned on just making a bow tie with red ribbon, but I never made it to a craft store this week. 

The make up was fun to do. Foundation was essential for a flawless canvas. Rosy cheeks (of course!), red lip, filled in brows, a simple eye, and lashes finished up the look. 

For my hair, I just pinned it into a low bun. As the night went on, it got a little out of control, but was still cute. 

This hat was also from the infant section at target. I was careful to stick to my budget. :) I just used safety pins to secure these fake flowers and berries I had laying around the house. I just love how it came out. So pretty. 

This "carpet bag" was found at the Good Will. I just filled it with candy, and handed it out from there. 

The umbrella was possibly my favorite part of the costume to make. I used tin foil to create the shape of the parrot's head, then paper mâchéd on top of that, and let it dry over night. I then just painted right on it to create this cute face, let dry, and sealed it with modge podge. 

Because I didn't go to any parties or anything, I just handed out candy from my home, I decided on making a cute measuring tape sign for my front porch. I just painted a board with yellow paint I mixed from other paints I found in my craft room. I let it dry over night, and then sharpied right on it. I wish I would've painted the lettering on, but I was running out of time. 

One man asked me of I was a 1920's inn keeper. But besides him, everyone else knew who I was dressed up as. I heard one little girl tell her mother, "Mom, I really think she is the REAL Mary Poppins. And she lives in our neighborhood! Can you believe it?!" 

M. 

{Mary Poppins}