1)Many people just seem to throw together a set of ten pieces and see what they can try as they go, but I'm a planner (INFJ, y'all. Planner, planner, planner!) Not only did I plan what pieces to choose, I planned out all possible item pairings and made visual guides for myself with polyvore.  Was this planning a good thing or not? On the one hand, it made things simpler in the morning. No thinking required; I already knew what to wear! On the other hand, maybe that took out some of the spontaneity of it all.  *Visualize that shrugging emoji here*

2) 10x10 participants all have various styles and approaches, but by and large, most would probably say they subscribe to the minimalist trend. Including minimal color and pattern. While I really love their style, and have always strove for a classic look.... as I've been getting back to my regular wardrobe, I noticde that I had a lot of black and white basics and not much else (or so I thought!) I wanted some color interjected into my life as an exclamation of joy during this hot summer.

Turns out that I had at least enough statement pieces to pretty much fill up my ten item choices. Nearly all of chosen items were bright, with no real palette cohesion (unless striped counts as a color. Can it? I will fill out all questionnaires asking about my favorite color with the word "stripes" from now on!) Okay, so the jeans are pretty basic, and the graphic T-shirt is B&W but... I was pretty pleasantly surprised that I could work such diverse items into a mini-capsule like this and get so many outfits. There were still three more looks I could have rocked and while two weren't really all that revolutionary, these ten items could make at least thirteen outfits. That's pretty good, I'd say. See the other options below.


3) I did bend the rules a little. Initially, there were only three shirt options, but I had  a third pair of shorts among my ten items. By day two I realized with this heat, I would want more shirt options and swapped in the pink linen shirt. Since I am at home with the baby most days, I am also barefoot (but not "barefoot and in the kitchen") quite a lot, so was pretty lax on what shoes I wore. My moccasins were not one of my items but were just as likely as my chosen shoes to be thrown on to take the garbage out or walk the dogs. It's a self-imposed challenge; the goal is to learn, not punish yourself over made-up rules.

And learn I did, which leads me to....

4) Going into this, I was initially really hesitant to include that skirt. It will be a pain to move around on the floor with Ellis, I thought. Who is there to dress up for? Besides, it will get dirty right away and I'll have worn it for nothing. All this had me a bit down because I love me a good midi skirt. But because I did include the skirt (and the dress!), I wore them and went throughout my normal day routines with them. And it reminded me of something heard long ago. Use the good china for everyday meals. Basically, use your nice things, don't save them away ,because they never get used or enjoyed enough otherwise. Why not wear something that gives you joy? There's a limit to this, of course, because I also want things that are practical and fit my needs. So, not really sure where that leaves me, in terms of wondering whether skirts and dresses seem to have a place in this season of my life, but if I want them to be there, I can definitely make it work.

P.S. Looking for some more 10x10 inspiration? Check out these lovely ladies:

• Jess_Step had a colorful and pattern filled selection for this challenge. Love it! 
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• Mepluslady, as her handle indicates, shows how a curvier girl can be a style maven. Seriously, she is so artsy and her hair reminds me of Chanel. 
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• Thismomsgonnasnap is funny and frank. I first found her account through this challenge, but love her honesty in parenting her son who has some special needs. She also makes some of her own clothes. 
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• kristindnichols shows how you can do this challenge while being both professional and stylish.
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• tealandpokladots was in her second trimester while doing this challenge and looked cute as a button. If you want to know how to manage to actually look cute while pregnant, ask her (seriously, it is still such a mystery to me. Why does all maternity clothing look so .... ugly?) 

If could keep going on and on. I loved so many outfits. I'll get excited to try this challenge again come fall. Will you be joining in?