A Challenge of the Utmost Kind

I've been doing a lot of thinking recently. Thinking about what my goals are, what I want to achieve and the type of life I want to lead. The past year I've been floating along on the excitement of wedding plans, trying to get our renovation project off the ground and building my reputation in the school where I work. I've not really spent time examining my life and where it's going.

Blogging has opened up a whole new world to me and I've come across so many women who I've come to admire and even envy. They're mothers, home-makers, crafters, gardeners, cooks. They lead healthy and thrifty lives, caring for their environment and their homes, raising healthy, happy families....they seem to do it all and I wonder to myself, why can't I be more like that? They're living the lives I'd like to lead and it's time I did something about it.

While planning our wedding I came across the blog Imagine Lovely. I was in awe of Tania Verdez's challenge of buying only second hand or home made items for a whole year, this included planning her handcrafted vintage wedding. I discovered that she was taking part in a challenge set by Tif of Dottie Angel. At the time I read about it and thought, as I often do, that's something I'd like to do....maybe one day.

Recently I've been growing more and more concerned about the impact of our consumer society on the environment. Then I came across the Story of Stuff Project. Their video about where 'stuff' comes from and where it goes scared me into really thinking about what I buy and what I do with the things I buy.

So these discoveries combined with a feeling of lethargy about my life now that the excitement of the wedding is over have led me to the decision of taking up Dottie Angel's challenge. For one whole year, starting on 10.10.10 I pledge to buy only second hand or homemade goods for myself and my home. This will include as far as is possible the things we need for our home renovation. Where it's not possible to buy second hand or homemade (second hand paint might be difficult to come by!) I'll buy the greenest product available.

Already I'm feeling overwhelmed by this challenge and at the moment I see only obstacles. My family and friends in Italy are going to think I'm crazy. There is a distinct lack of charity shops or thrift stores in this part of the world and I have no idea where on earth I'm going to do my shopping. However, I know that I have the blogging community to continue to inspire me and I'm relying on you, my blogging friends to get me through the coming year.

Let the challenge begin!