Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Closet Challenge & Why I Feel Like a TARDIS

Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and beginning of the Year of Mercy! I honestly can't handle the epicness. Today, I'm linking up with the lovely ladies of Tuesday Talk to discuss something that has been on the backburner of this blog. Some of you might remember how myself-along with a few friends-spent the whole month of October on only 7 items of clothing (excluding underwear, pajamas, and workout clothes). I meant to do a end-of-month post about it, and I had planned to take loads of pictures...but, well, I only took a few photos and I never wrote a post. So today, I'm going to briefly discuss my thoughts on The Closet Challenge-and then I'm going to tie this into how I became like a TARDIS. Don't worry, non-Doctor Who people-I won't make this a geek-heavy post. ;)  


For those of you who want to read my original post about The Closet Challenge, check it out hereIn short, for the month of October, I had one dress, three tops, and three skirts from which I could create my outfits. 

 What did this challenge do for me? 

For one thing, it simplified my life. I've never been that fussy of a dresser, but things got way more simple when I only had a few items to choose from. It gave me more time to focus on other things in the morning, like prayer, chatting with my husband, heading out the door to Mass, or eating breakfast. This challenge also helped me get more creative, and I appreciated accessories a lot more. Scarves and jewelry were great items to freshen up my outfits. Another benefit of this challenge is that it made me more intentional with clothing. Since I had only a few items that month, I had to intentionally pick things that would be functional, cute, and versatile. This month-long challenge helped me realize that I can appreciate cute clothes at the store without buying them, and that having a small, intentionally workable wardrobe is better for me than buying a lot of adorable thrift store or sale items. All in all, even though by the end of October I was longingly fingering my other skirts, I still really appreciated this challenge. It has given me the passion to live with a simple wardrobe, and I've been going through my closet to find clothes that I can give away to the needy during this Year of Mercy. 

This challenge also provided a visual sign of how I became like a TARDIS. 
For my non-Whovian friends out there, the TARDIS is the time machine that the Doctor flies around in. It looks like a plain blue phone box on the outside...but it is bigger on the inside! 


When I started watching the show, I realized that the TARDIS can be compared, in a way, to the Tabernacle. The TARDIS is bigger on the inside, and the Tabernacle-a gold box-holds the Body of Jesus Christ, God Himself! The TARDIS looks ordinary, but within its walls, it holds an immense mystery. Keeping that in mind, let's look back at a picture of me during the month of October. 

I look completely normal, right? Nothing strange or out of the ordinary going on. Yet...I had become bigger on the inside.

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo & ultrasound-the bedside machine
was pretty ancient and didn't work so well. The dotted line is measuring the length of Baby,
in case you're wondering what the fuzzy shapes are :) 
Meet Baby Miller, who is currently at 13 weeks (well, as of tomorrow), so he or she is about 11 weeks old! Honestly, Baby Miller makes me feel like a TARDIS. At 13 weeks, in most outfits there is no visible bump, so I look like my pre-pregnant self. But, within my womb, an unrepeatable, irreplaceable, completely unique human person-a being with a body and a soul-has been growing! 
You can slightly see thebump in this
12 1/2 week photo. 
And so, I find it extremely appropriate that the TARDIS is blue and that the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose conception we celebrate today, is often pictured wearing blue. Mary, a mother and a Tabernacle of Christ, was definitely bigger on the inside. And so I continue on in this journey of epic TARDIS-ness and motherhood, asking Mary for her guidance and help. It has been a glorious adventure thus far, full of growth in trust and humility, naps, lots of popcorn, a dose of nausea, and a little bit of vomit here and there. If y'all could please, in your spare time, send up a prayer for myself, Baby, and my awesome husband (who has been an incredible husband and father, taking care of everyone and everything), that would be fantastic :) 

I hope that your week continues to be blessed! 

12 comments:

  1. "Keeping that in mind, let's look back at a picture of me during the month of October."

    When I read that I knew exactly where this was going! Yay! I've obviously already told you this but I'm still so happy for you! And I loooove the connection to the TARDIS, that's such a great way to describe your pregnancy! :) :)

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    1. Haha thanks!!!! I'm glad you like that connection; it just randomly occurred to me in the very first days of knowing I was pregnant :)

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  2. So happy for you. Get lots of rest and keep growing that baby!

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    1. Thank you so much!!! At the beginning of pregnancy, I was definitely trying to resist the urge to nap, but after my husband, mom, and mother-in-law ALL insisted, I'm trying to get better at resting and taking naps. So, hopefully that baby is growing well! :)

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  3. AnneMarie, this is so exciting! Great analogy, too ;) I'll be praying for you and your (growing) family!

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    1. Thank you so much, Erin! I really appreciate your prayers! :)

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  4. AnneMarie, I LOVE this post and the TARDIS analogy. Congratulations once again! As always, I am praying for you and your family :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Rebecca!!!! I'm glad you like the analogy :) I really appreciate the prayers a lot!!! (also, I've been slowly reading your paper, and I love it so far!!!!)

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  5. Congratulations!!! This is so exciting! I hope that you feel better soon. Be gentle with yourself on the rough days.

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    1. Thank you so much, Ann-Marie! The past couple days, I've been starting to feel a little better and more energized, which is nice :) Thanks for the reminder-that is definitely a way that God was helping me grow at the beginning of pregnancy, because I would feel super lame for being gross and not wanting to move. Over time, I've started to be more forgiving on myself and taking it slow, though I still struggle at times!

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  6. That is so EPIC !!! Congratulations, so happy for you. I'll pray for you and your family as you enter this path of holiness ! Greetings from France :)

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    1. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!! I really appreciate your prayers :) We are very, very excited, and it has been a blessed journey with this new little life! I hope that you are doing well and that you are safe in the aftermath of the attacks; I have been praying for everyone in your country. God bless you!

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