#WEverb11, Day 28: Pay It Forward

For the month of December, I’ll be participating in #WEverb11. Each day gives a new prompt, each of which is a chance to reflect and look forward.

December 28: Pay It Forward

Describe a random act of kindness that you benefited from in 2011. How will you pay it forward in 2012? Contributed by Bella (hey, that’s me again!!)

I’m really honored that in the month of December, 3 of my prompts were chosen for #WEverb11. 

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When I first came up with this prompt, I knew exactly how I would answer it.  I received many small acts of kindness throughout the year, but the one that really stands out in my mind is when Scale Warfare and BeautyJunkie824 both gave me their now-too-big clothes within a few days of each other. You see, both of them have had WLS and both of them have lost major weight over 70 and 80 lbs, respectively.

You can read the details of their kindness here, but here’s a shot of the clothes all spilled over my bed as I was trying them on:

Over the past couple of months, I’ve really been able to ameliorate my wardrobe with these clothes, which has been so nice.  I’m not stuck wearing the same old thing – I have all these new pieces that I can mix into my existing wardrobe and come up with fun combinations.  You can see how I’ve been putting it all together in my OOTW (Outfits of the Week) posts.

And I have another two boxes of clothes in my closet just waiting for me, once I can fit into some smaller sizes.  They’re really going to be a lifesaver as I lose weight and I start to shrink pretty quickly.  Because even though I’m going to be tempted, I don’t want to put too much money into clothes as I’m still losing.  I want to wait and “break the bank” on clothes once I reach goal.

These clothes are more than just a beautiful act of friendship from two very generous people.  They represent hard work, determination, and the ability to achieve a goal.  They’re a daily reminder that if I stick to my plan, I can reach the same success.

In 2012, I will pay it forward by donating my current wardrobe (once it’s too big) to someone else.  Whether that’s to my local donation center or to someone I meet through this blog remains to be seen.  Perhaps a bit of both.

Having clothes that make you feel good is really so important.  Some people might consider it superficial, but I don’t.  I think taking time and paying attention to how you present yourself to the world helps you carry yourself with more confidence.  And with that confidence, you can do anything.  At least I know I can.

How will you pay it forward in 2012?

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“Magic Around Every Corner”

Last night on The Biggest Loser Bob took his team to this spot that was a hidden oasis, complete with a waterfall in the middle of a mountain range in Malibu, CA. He said, “there’s magic around every corner and all you have to do is go out and find it. You can achieve anything you set your mind to do.” I really love that, and after these past few days, I can say that that’s so true.

Today when I got home from work, these were waiting for me on my front porch:

Boxes of clothes that Scale Warfare (aka Skinny Minnie!!) had gotten too slender for (she’s lost  over 54 lbs!!).  And don’t be fooled by the “small box” moniker; these boxes were filled to the brim with tons and tons and tons of clothes:

I know this photo looks like a big mess, but I was trying on and sorting through it all.  I have a whole box of clothes that I’ll fit into in a size or two, and an entire box of items that I can wear now and for quite some time.  Scale Warfare gave me everything from dresses to pants to blouses to tanks to cardigans to glitzy tops to pjs to blazers.  The clothes are high quality, expensive, and in excellent condition.  I mentioned the gift to my sister and she came over and claimed a few things that she wants to “borrow.”  (I see some fashion fights in our future, like when we were in high school.  🙂  I marked the second box of clothes “inspiration” and put them in my spare bedroom closet. I cannot wait to wear each and every one. I especially have my eye on a pair of pin-striped Michael Kors pants that I’m dying to fit into.  Talk about great incentive!!

Here’s my outfit for tomorrow, all laid out. The whimsical top is from Scale Warfare and I’m pairing it with a black cardi and a black skirt.  If you come back on Friday for my OOTW post, you’ll see me in it.

Not only do I have clothes in sizes ranging from 24-16 and everything in between, but I’m seeing that there are quite a few stores that I never/rarely shop at that I should be.  Like Talbot’s, Old Navy, and Khol’s to name a few. It’s so interesting to see that stores that I thought were out of reach actually have clothes that fit (and look good) on me.

I knew that Scale Warfare and I had a lot in common, but now I see that she and I have a very similar fashion esthetic, too.  When we finally do meet up, we are most definitely going to burn a hole in our credit cards with all the shopping we’ll do!!

I can’t tell you how thankful I feel Scale Warfare her generosity with me.  Not only did she send me an immense about of expensive, like-new (some with the tags still on!) clothes, but she also paid to have them shipped to me across the country (not cheap at all).  I can tell you that Santa is going to treat her very nicely this year.  Between Scale Warfare and BeautyJunkie824 these past two days have made me feel invigorated, grateful, and very, very loved.  How lucky am I to have such amazing people in my life to call my friends?  I absolutely will pay it forward when it comes time for these clothes to go on to another home.

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