Thoughts on the eve of the 2022 #Disneyboundchallenge

On the eve of this year’s #disneyboundchallenge, I want to share some thoughts…

I participated for the first time last year (2021). I came up with four new outfits and used photos from previous trips for others. It was so fun, and I was amazed that people who didn’t follow me came to my little account to see my posts, like them, and even comment on them! 

The challenge made me look at my wardrobe in a whole new way, and it was just plain colorful and fun. I knew I wanted to do even more Disneybounding. I came up with a few outfits on my own, but here we are a year later, and I can say that having prompts really helps!  

I want to go more all-out this year. I won’t be able to participate every day, but I already have outfits planned (and even photos of many of them!) for about 13 prompts. I started preparing earlier than last year, and I even made a spreadsheet! My goals for this year are to 1) create only outfits that I would literally be willing to wear in everyday life, and 2) not reuse any outfits from the previous challenge. 

I’ve learned some things. First, I was reminded of the contents of my own wardrobe. There’s not a lot of turnover in my closet, but I do forget what I have sometimes. Again, this challenge has given me fresh eyes to see what is already there. I intend to use what I already own, and fill in with versatile pieces if necessary (as of this post, I purchased one garment–on clearance!). This isn’t to say that I won’t ever consider purchasing something special, but that’s not at the top of my list. 

Second, I’ve felt really powerful being able to sew my own clothes.  I am excited to see how many of my planned outfits already include me-made garments. But when I found a gap, I have been able to fill in with items I’ve made myself (and so far, I have used only fabrics that were handed down to me!). At this point I’ve made three garments specifically for this #Disneyboundchallenge, and two of those pieces will show up in more than one outfit. 

Third, it’s helping me be okay with how I look right now. Taking pictures of myself is hard (I know I’m not alone), and for the past few years, I’ve been really struggling with this, especially after ankle surgery in 2019 has completely upended the way I can exercise. My husband has been so gracious to help me look through the photos from my little self-photo-shoots. Often I will sit down next to him saying, “I don’t think there’s anything good here, so I might need to retake these,” but he always finds pictures that help me to feel beautiful. It continues to be my goal to improve my fitness, but there is also something to be said about being confident in how I look right now, too. 

Finally, I am thankful for a lighthearted and fun diversion in the midst of the darkness of the world. I don’t take current events lightly, and I also know that they can drag me down into dark depths if I am not careful. This is a bright spot, a chance to add some (hopefully) beauty even when things are hard. 

~

I’ll be posting during the challenge on my Instagram account (@natalie.strand), but I’m intending to do a few roundup posts here on my blog throughout the month, too.

• Days 1-7
• Days 8-14
• Days 15-21
• days 22-31