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This part of my journey is quickly coming to a close.  Tomorrow marks the 10 day countdown.  Wow.  WOW.  I’m sad.  Even though only a handful of people knew about the blog/project before May I have been thinking and praying about it since January.  This project has been a part of my life this entire year.  There are so many moments that I just stop and go “I can’t believe I’m doing this!”  When I looked at the woman who inspired this type of fundraiser last year I thought, “That is a brilliant idea, but there’s no way I could do that.”  It’s true that I’m not going for a year like her, but I will have done 100 days by the end of this project.  Are there things in your life that you long to do but are to afraid to do?  Things on a list tucked away and almost but not quite forgotten?  Crazy things that are so far removed from your everyday routine.  Please don’t think that it will happen “some day”.  Why not make someday today?  That’s all you really have is now.  I’m definitely not saying it will be easy.  This whole adventure for me has been fairly difficult.  It is a privilege that I will always be grateful for but it has been stretching as I knew it would be.  Despite the challenges I have experienced much joy.  I will never regret doing this.  I don’t think you will regret making your list a reality either.  What is it that you secretly dream of doing but just haven’t made the leap to do?   Go do it!

Please help our sweet little orphans today by donating so that they too can dream.

Sharon Blair, a Portland based designer, who runs Studio SKB graciously offered to lend me this stunning jacket.  She offers “Sustainable fashion with a vintage touch.  Locally made, locally owned quality apparel, design and classes.” I am so grateful to her for helping me out.  Thank you so much Sharon!

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

{Styled by: Karen}

I love fruit.  It’s one of the few sweet things that I can eat.  So summertime is yumminess!  The other night I discovered that some of the bushes in our backyard have little plump blueberries all over them.  As I sat there and picked (and ate) the delicious little morsels I was completely delighted.  Then last night as I made rounds with my spoon in the juicy vibrant pink watermelon I felt that same joy.  The simplicity of summer.  Fresh fruit that leaves my taste buds tingling.  Yet all the bright melons and fat berries make me think about another type of fruit.  The fruit of our lives.  “A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.” (Matthew 7:18)   “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33).  What kind of fruit is my life producing?  This is something that I need to think about more often.  What kind of tree are you?  Looking at your life and seeing where you put your time, energy, and money will help give you a good indication of what you love…and what type of fruit you are bearing.  Grab an apple and go munch on it while you think it over. 😉

Don’t forget to donate to the sweet orphans today since there’s not much time left! Total Raised: 12,619.29!!!!!! 😀

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

{Sweater lent to me by Amber}

Want to know the most exciting thing that happened yesterday (other than the fire alarm went off at work…no worries someone just burnt their toast…bad.  For reals)?  Anyways the editor of Seventeen magazine retweeted about the project!

“great concept! Love ur styling!RT @misselaini: @annshoket can u help me finish strong with my project 1 dress. 100 days. http://t.co/L4tc6cS”

Yeah that made my day. 😀  (Thanks to everyone who has helped style the dress.  You’re amazing!) I wonder who else we could get to tweet about the project… Would you all tweet (or Facebook) at least one person today and  tell them about the project?  Only a few more days to raise…well a lot of money!  If everyone just gave 5 dollars we would get to the goal in no time.  Join the team today?  I hope so because together we could do something pretty epic.  A lot of sweet orphans would be very blessed.  I need your help! 😀

Total Raised: $12,374.29 😀

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

{Dress lent to me by Amber, red necklace donated by Cheri&David}

Two weeks, two weeks!!!!!  There are SO many emotions going on in my heart…I mean I have been wearing this dress since the first of May! Will I even know how to dress after this?!?!?  Just kidding, but you see my point.  I started out with this project being terrified to push the “publish” button on a post because *gasp* somebody might READ it…Now I have just the opposite feeling…what if no one continues to read (this blog shall continue) and I send this out to a void.  In the long run it really doesn’t matter.  What matters is I have been connected with some amazing people over the last 86 days…YOU! I love reading your comments and knowing people all over the world are coming together to do something incredible.  You are raising money for orphans and it is crazy beautiful.  We have helped open three orphan homes and are helping feed and educate children who need us.  THANK YOU!! You are making a difference.  xxx

Figuring out how to make this dress a top gave me a feeling of triumph. 😀  Did I mention I’m easily pleased?

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

Random post today because I’m inspirationally (is that even a word?) challenged.  I don’t mind wearing the dress but coming up with new ideas for the dress can be well…difficult.   I can’t believe that starting tomorrow there are only two weeks left! Can you??  It’s going to be a very busy two weeks…church camp out, conference, wedding rehearsal, wedding, photo shoot, plan a party, work…its going to be fun! 🙂

So I need some words that define this project.  Can you help me out with some suggestions?  I’ll start you off…orphans, dress, 100 days, India..  Your turn. ready, set, GO!

Also a BIG thank you to my beautiful friend Christa for bringing me this incredible hat back from Italy for my birthday.  Yeah she’s cool like that! 🙂

P.S.  I’ve really been longing to go to India even more these days.  I just want to scoop those little children up and give them a big hug!  I pray I’ll get to go sooner rather than later…

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

Hello you wonderful people! What are you up to this weekend?  I hope something fun or at least relaxing.  If you have a moment would you mind tweeting your friends and/or posting about the project on FB?  Such a short time left…! I want to see as many kiddos as possible taken care of.  I want to know that they are smiling.  Did you know they pray for this project?  Yes they are praying for their daily bread.  Because for you or me its 5 bucks but for them its food for a month….

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has been donating.  Seriously.  I’m doing a happy dance! Because total raised: $11,581.29 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can we push it to 12K over the weekend??

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

Worlds discovered and ones not yet explored.  Happiness, love, revenge, despair, mercy, compassion…life.  Too many to count and not enough hours to read them all.  Crisp bindings or worn pages.  Books.  With every page a telling of a story whether true or imagined.  Sometimes I get so lost in the narrative of a book that I can’t hear.  I’m engulfed in another world, another story.  Yet the pages we read aren’t the only ones telling a tale.  We are in the middle of a grand story.  Our own lives.  The lives of others.  What are you putting on your pages?  What are you putting on the pages of others?

Currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the second time…I love the way Alexandre Dumas weaves this story.

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey… How many times have you heard that one?  I’ve heard it a few times but it didn’t sink in till halfway through the project.  I’m slow…  To be honest I was stressed and worried. What if we don’t raise $50,000?  What if we don’t get to help as many children?  I wasn’t fully enjoying this journey.  Why?  Fear.  Strangling, hurtful, unhelpful to say the least, fear.  This project has been everything that I thought and nothing like I expected.  Learning to let go.  Give up control.  Live in the moment.  Rejoice that I’m here.  Right now.  Breath.  Reflection.  Trust… Enjoying every letter, comment, encouragement you wonderful people have sent my way.  I delight to see your generous hearts for suffering darlings halfway across the globe.  Thank you for giving.  You really are changing lives.

EEEEEEEE WE ARE OVER THE 10K MARK!!!!!!!!!!!!  $10,381.29

Thank you to Kate for bringing me back the beautiful red scarf for my birthday from her travels abroad so I could use it for the project!

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

I hear it like the music of an African rain stick outside my window.  Even though it is the middle of July it is the real deal.  Rain.  Coursing down and dripping off the eaves.  Millions of diamonds coming from a gray cashmere sky.  My burning heart, mind, and body are soothed by the refreshing music.  How I long for the suffering of the world to be washed away like the rain washes the earth soil.   To see everything sparkling clean.  No more children without parents, hungry bellies, or pain filled lives.  And one day we will see most clearly.  The storm will cease and the clouds break to reveal the sun.  The sun that was always there.  Just like the true Son, Jesus, is always there.  Even in the rain.  What we can’t always see is that the rain brings cleansing.  It heals the cracks in the earth.  It brings life.

UPDATE: $9,266.29  raised!!! WOOT WOOT! 😀

19 days and counting.  Something that I’ve been thinking a lot more about lately: What should I wear the first day after this…any thoughts??

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}

YIKES!!! 20 days left?!?!?!?  Think of all the children we have helped! We have provided homes for at least 20 children. 😀  Can we help provide them with an education too?  Would you be willing to take a dare?  Give up your favorite beverage (coffee, tea, pop/soda/whatever you call it) for a week and then give that money to a child to feed them for several months?  Approximately 5 dollars feeds an orphan for a month.  Hello 90 meals for $5???  You’re right in thinking we may not be able to change the world but we can change a life.  Or several.  Or many.  Depending on how much money we raise in the next 20 days.  And who knows the power of one changed life?  The possibilities and opportunities are endless.  The child we feed may be a future president, TOMS founder, or Jane Austen.  Kinda makes my mind swirl when
I think of it like that!

P.S.  I realize I look 13 in this picture…

{Photos by: Christa Taylor}