I missed a few months of Photo An Hour. In May I forgot, only remembering at lunchtime, and in June we decided to have Bub’s 1st birthday party on the chosen PAH day. There was just too much going on to take part.

The 23rd was the day chosen for July.

7am. Morning cuddles. And, if I am interpreting the sounds from the kitchen correctly, a cup of tea is on its way.

8am. We've breakfasted and played outside. Now for some supervised book time.

(Book time has to be supervised so that we can prevent Bub from destroying all the books. She likes to chew on them, peel off the covers, and reduce them to single pages and use them as stepping stones - and this is just board books, what she does to paperbacks is criminal! She really enjoys her books so I spend a lot of time with her and her books everyday, which I love!)

9am. Bathed, dressed, now playing with post-its and books. I’m trying to get dressed whilst preventing the bedroom (and books) getting trashed by the tiny person.

10am. Whilst Bub is having fun exploring our bedroom, I’m sorting out bits and pieces. It’s mutually agreeable.

11am. It sleeps. And while it does I’m pottering about undoing all the destruction it created this morning. There is a lot of tidying in motherhood.

1pm. Went to see husband at work. The agricultural education is underway.

2pm. A walk and then a bit of a sit. Must stay hydrated.

3pm. A quick stop at the yard to pressure wash the car.

4pm. Home and in the garden

6pm. Peeking. Trying to keep the lounge cool by closing the curtains. And trying to stop this one climbing into the back of the sofa.

7pm. Just popping the tractor in the garage for the night.

Thanks to Louisa for hosting. See you soon.

So summer arrived a few weeks ago, but with one thing and another I didn't get around to posting this. Here are a few things I'd like to do over the summer...

1. Tucking in
I want to eat in a restaurant every day for seven days, be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. This is something I tried to do during the week of my birthday last year. I failed, partly due to lack of planning, and partly due to eating waaaaay too much on day one!

2. Getting crafty
Make use of the bag of fabric scraps I've been collecting. I have a plan, I now just need to execute it.

3. Going Coastal
Spend a day at the beach, I'm talking 9 to 5 - fish n chips followed by ice cream, a morning stroll on the promenade, and an afternoon reading on the beach, interspersed with a little paddling in the surf.

4. Rocking it
I found @stonesofjoy1 via Ann, who's recently joined Instagram - Welcome Ann! - they paint stones with pretty things and write inspirational messages for people to find, and I want to paint my own stone to be found. Maybe I'll leave one on the beach...?

5. Day tripping
Take a trip to Snape Maltings and Marlsford Mill. Snape Maltings have art exhibitons that are always worth a look and Marlsford Mill offers a collection of furniture, antiques and curios that I always enjoy perusing, I don't buy something every time I go...

6. Finishing off
The bedroom redecoration needs to be finished, the time it's taking has gone beyond ridiculous.

7. Visibly mending
I have some jeans, a parasol, a picnic blanket, and a large bag that all need attention. I want to put my hours of scrolling through the #visiblemending hashtag on Instagram to good use.

8. Baking goodies
Make a giant Jaffa cake, and Bourbon biscuit brownies

What's the summeriest thing you can think of doing?

These outfits show the temperatures getting lower as the month of September progressed. I started in a short dress with short sleeves, and towards the end of the month I was wearing huge scarves.

To be fair the weather has been wonderful. But the temperatures did start to dip at the end of September, and we had some cool winds to take the heat out of the sun's rays.


I had optimistically added three pairs of shorts to my September capsule but none of them were worn. However, it was nice to be a little cooler after the soaring temperatures of July and August.

I hear we're in for a harsh winter, so talk of shorts and sundresses will be shelved (or should that be wardrobed) for a while. I do like a cosy jumper and have been known to wear a huge scarf or two.

How terribly British, a post about a capsule wardrobe that talks more about the weather than the outfits! That said the weather dictates what goes into each capsule, and every outfit I wear so it does almost make sense...

Anyway I liked putting together a monthly capsule for each month of the summer, when you can't rely on the weather it gives so much more flexibility.

For my summer capsule wardrobe I decided to have a monthly edit, instead of keeping it the same for the entire season. It's been really nice to swap it around a little.

I put this together during the last week of August and even though I've worn shorts this month already it does seem a little daft to have three pairs in this capsule. As I sit here and type the world outside is grey and chilly!
This month I removed nine items and added four new ones. I need to mend my green skirt as the zip now only goes 2/3rds of the way up, and the red floral skirt needs the hem repaired. It's frayed quite badly. It seems that 90% of the mending I do is to repair frayed seams, it's maddening. (Since starting to write this the hem on my green dress has frayed too!!).

I've still got plenty of summer clothes in this capsule, we did have a few lovely sunny days at the beginning of the month, but it has turned cooler. If the sunny weather is over (although I hold out hope for a few more sunny days), I know that I have plenty of cooler weather options should I need them (see below). The great thing about midi and maxi skirts and dresses is that you can add tights if it's really cold, but if it's just a little on the chilly side they offer enough coverage for warmth.


I've already started looking at my autumn capsule, I know that I need another pair of jeans and another jumper so I'm on the look out. I'll be spoilt for choice on the jumper front but I'm not looking forward to the hunt for jeans!

Andy gave me this dress for my birthday and I wore it the next day to lunch with friends. I love it, it's comfy and so nice to wear. Did you notice the pom pom necklace?

August did have it's share of dull days, but when the sun did shine I relished pulling on a pair of shorts or slipping into a dress from my August capsule. I was able to mix new (to me) purchases with things that have been in my wardrobe for a good few years, I always love finding new outfits combinations. And as you can see my recently purchased yellow bag got it's fair share of usage.


I'm already looking forward to the return of summer next year...

For my summer capsule wardrobe I decided to have a monthly edit, instead of keeping it the same for three months. Doing so means I can swap things around each month and wear more of my summer clothes.

My July Capsule was lovely, full of lots of colour, and things I don't get the opportunity to wear very often. For August I removed a few things that need mending, a few things I didn't wear and added some new (to me) items and some things I purchased last year that have yet to be worn.

With the glorious weather we've been enjoying it's been lovely to wear my summeriest of summer dresses and skirts. I'm hoping this month will be more of the same, we've had some rain and a few grey days, can we have the sun back for the rest of the month now please?

I realised in July that I probably didn't need 36 items for 31 days, but I couldn't bring myself to eliminate anything more from this month's total of 34. I have too much that I love and want to wear. Which isn't a bad position to be in really.

This is the first week in my August Capsule.

I couldn't wait to wear my new (to me) cropped jeans and wore them two days in a row - some might say that you shouldn't be seen in the same thing twice, but I couldn't care less, they're so comfy!

The lace top in the first outfit is one I purchased in May last year. When I realised this it immediately went into the capsule. It works well with the high waist of the cropped jeans.

The next day I wore them with a pre-loved top that's been around a while. I wore this for two days in a row too, again firmly sticking two fingers up at anyone who tries to tell me 'you can't be seen wearing the same thing twice'. Absolute piffle. Why can't we all just agree that everyone wears their clothes more than once and it's insanity to pretend otherwise.

I also wore my sequin top and denim shorts for the first time, and used my newest purchase - a mustard coloured shoulder bag - because I couldn't wait to give it an outing.


As the week drew to an end I wore a long floral maxi. I've not worn this before. I bought this imagining I'd wear it on a faraway beach at sunset (this beautifully illustrates the dream world I inhabit most of the time). The last time I was walking on foreign sand was in the Sahara, and this would've been most impractical. Before that I was in Zanizbar for my best friend's wedding 9 years ago. My point being that I rarely find myself on distant shores, so pottering about in it at home and nipping to the shop will have to suffice, and let's face it, in this heat I could be some where abroad.

What's your favourite item in your summer wardrobe?

July was glorious wasn't it? I'm glad I decided to split my seasonal capsule wardrobe into three, I've loved wearing lots of items I don't usually get to wear but there's a lot more in my wardrobe that deserves to see the light of day.

I don't know if it's the slight tan I've managed to achieve, my new attitude of 'life's too short', or if it's just the sun shining so consistently but I've been feeling good. Really good. Body confident and happy in my own skin.

I can't explain it as I still have the same 'flaws' as I had last year, in fact I've gathered a few more, they just seem to matter less. One thing I do know is that putting on an outfit each day that I love has, in some small part, added to my current frame of mind.

Long may it continue.

These are a handful of the outfits I put together from my July Capsule. I read somewhere recently that capsules are full of style classics, and therefore can be rather dull and uninspiring, lacking in any amount of fun. Pah! What nonsense! I've had great fun with this capsule.


I'm looking forward to the coming months with added enthusiasm, the sun is shining and life is good.

For the summer season I'm going to try something a little different for my capsule wardrobe.

I've decided to do it monthly.

When looking at all my summer clothes and trying to decide what to put into my summer capsule, I realised that I've a lot of summer items I want to wear, but far too many for just one capsule.

Here's the July edit, featuring some old favourites and some new purchases, and also some items that have been ignored for far too long.


To put this together I went through all my clothes picking out anything that I looked at and thought 'I want to wear that', and then I filled in the gaps. There are a lot of skirts and dresses, with a few options for cooler weather, because this is the UK after all. That said I do hope that the glorious weather we've been having stays around for a while yet.

I'd like to add a pair of cropped jeans to my wardrobe, and I have a hankering for a sequin top, so I'll be keeping my eyes open for them in the coming weeks. Until then I'll be enjoying this new capsule.

Hope you're enjoying the summer so far.

Here's how, I hope, I'll be spending my summer...

1. Eating
I want to eat in a restaurant every day for seven days, be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

2. Camping
I have a day ticket for Latitude again this year, and I'll be camping at a local campsite on the Friday and Saturday night.

3. Going Coastal
Spend a day at the beach, I'm talking 9 to 5 - ice cream, fish n chips, a morning stroll on the promenade, and an afternoon nap on the beach.

4. Hosting
Afternoon tea for friends. I have the enthusiasm and a cake stand, what more do I need?

5. Reading
I want to read 12 books, hopefully more over the summer months.

6. Decorating
The bedroom has been at the planning stage for about two years now...

7. Exploring
I want to give Geocaching a go, there are a few sites locally that I'm going to seek out first.

8. Attending
Visit the local Flower Show, the one I've said I'm going to visit each and every year since we moved here seven years ago.

9. Concocting
Make lemonade from scratch.

10. Utilising
Get a book from the Library, I joined last year and have yet to take out a book.

What are your plans for the summer months? Is there something you look forward to doing every year?

As with every season, I had a list of things I wanted to do this summer. I kinda gave up on summer activities weeks ago, because let's face it, the summer weather abandoned us and it already feels like the middle of autumn. In October last year I was still going coatless, sockless, and baring my legs!!

Although it feels like the weather was a let down, looking back I can see we did have quite a few hot sunny days.

1. Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold, dip my toes into the water, and try a new ice cream flavour in each place.

Southwold, late June, after a beach clean up, with a delicious Sour Cherry ice cream from Harris & James.

Aldeburgh, July, with my Dad. We visited the Suffolk Craft Society Summer Exhibition. Promptly followed by a creamy almond crunch ice cream on the beach, and a spontaneous game of 'throw small stones at a bigger stone and see who can hit it the most'. Which ended in me throwing handfuls of stones in the hope of getting just one to hit the big stone, just as with every game of this we played when I was a child.

Felixstowe just after the school holidays finished, accompanied by Mother. I tried Blue Bubblegum ice cream, and it was pretty good, even though it turned my tongue and lips blue. The sea was cold enough to turn my feet blue, and it would have if I'd stayed in the water for longer than it took me to snap photographic evidence of my paddle.

Southwold, mid September, another beach clean up, accompanied by my Mum and her husband. Ice cream (or rather gelato if I'm to be precise) of choice was Stracciatella (milk based cream with dark chocolate shards throughout), from Harris and James again. Sea was chilly. And it rained, a lot. Not that it spoiled our enjoyment, and I also expanded my small sea glass collection from one tiny piece to five tiny pieces.

I could go on and list all of the things I failed to do - visit a maize maze, make lemonade from scratch - or the things I started to do but didn't finish, I could tell you I did some decorating but not nearly as much as I'd hoped, but to be honest, it seems a bit boring. And if I'm bored of writing these posts, surely you must be bored of reading them. Or perhaps it's just the mood I happen to be in today?

I love having a list and thinking about all the things I could do at the start of each season, it helps me muster up enthusiasm for the the months ahead and it does spur me on to do some things, but I feel deflated when I fail to tick things off. Writing about the things I didn't do seems pointless.

So maybe I should go ahead a write the list but not worry so much about what's achieved and what isn't?

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, isn't that what they say?

Summer feels like it's taken forever to arrive. I got bored with my spring capsule and started to wear items from this one ages ago, so it seems like this is well overdue but as I normally start my summer capsule on July 1st it's really not all that late.
I'm excited to have so many items that I really, really like in this capsule. I got my spring capsule wrong, I selected too many warm weather clothes and ended up wearing jeans and a t-shirt most of the time. Not that there is any thing wrong with that - I love a jeans and tee combo - I just wanted to be wearing other things, I wasn't inspired by it at all.

To create my capsules I choose my favourite items of clothing and then make sure I have a few things to wear with each item. Then I fill in the gaps with more standard items - jeans, jumpers or t-shirts. I've done some reading on how I 'should' put a capsule together but I've largely ignored the rules set out.

There is a school of thought that says you can wear prints either as tops or bottoms, and you should have a colour scheme with lots of neutrals and a few pops of colour. Most capsulers like to be able to wear any top from the capsule with any of the skirts or trousers. I don't bother with that. As long as I'm able to wear each piece a few different ways I'm happy. I put together these capsules for my convenience, to wear my favourite clothes, not to follow as set of someone else's rules. It means I have an uncluttered wardrobe, I am more aware of the clothes I have, and I have fewer 'I have nothing to wear days'. It works for me.

Most of the time.



As I said my spring capsule didn't work well, I didn't have enough cooler weather options and felt rather uninspired most days. It wasn't until the sun started to shine, and I was able to wear more summery pieces that I perked up, before abandoning it completely in favour of my summer capsule.

Bring on the skirts, the prints, and the dresses!

Spring seemed to last for ages, so I'm so glad summer has arrived. With luck the weather will continue to be kind, it'll scorch our lawns, send us to the coast in droves, and see the sales of icecream (and sun cream) go through the roof.

Here's how I'll be spending my summer...

1. Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold
Dip my toes into the water, and try a new ice cream flavour in each place. I plan to go before the schools break up so I can avoid hoards of people. Unsociable? Me?

2. Get organised and start felting for Christmas (yes, I totally just used the C word)
Even if I only tick one item off my list it'll be a start. I always have so many things on my to-do list, things often get put off because 'I have loads of time', and then time flies...

3. Go on a picnic
Complete with blanket and wicker basket.

4. Visit a maize maze
Kezzie the Southwold maize maze opens on July 17th.

5. Go Geocaching

6. Visit the Suffolk Punch Trust

7. Make lemonade from scratch

8. Join my local library
After losing a book whilst at college I was too scared to darken the doors again, I think sufficient time has passed...

9. Decorate until my arms fall off
I say this so often...

10. Read 14 books - preferably whilst lounging in my hammock in the sunshine
My freelance friend and I have decided to make July 7th #NationalFreelancersDayOff and we intend to sit in hammocks and do nothing but read. Since the beginning of April I've purchased 28 books, mostly from charity shops, and been given four others, so I need to do some serious catching up!

What do you have planned for the summer months?

Summer was wonderful. I know we had some hefty amounts of rain at times but mostly I think we had a great summer weather-wise. I actually got a teeny bit of a tan, which is almost unheard of.

It also meant that I got to wear my favourite summer clothes a lot more than usual. I really enjoyed my summer capsule, and even though I didn't wear every one of my 37 items I still felt that I had plenty to choose from.

Here are some of my summer outfits.

Shorts & Dungarees

These shorts weren't originally in my capsule but I was going to a BBQ and really wanted to wear a pair. It was a glorious day but the denim shorts I had in my capsule weren't appropriate, so I swapped them for these Kew shorts. Being tailored they're smarter and easier to dress up.

I bought these last year in my local charity shop, but this was the first time I'd worn them. They're the perfect length and really versatile. They looked great with a plain black t-shirt for running errands, and equally as nice with a sweater and a clutch bag for an evening pub meal. I'll definitely be wearing these again next year.




Another capsule swap were these dungarees. I discovered that one of my dresses had a broken zip, and so these took it's place. I hadn't worn dungarees in years but now I love them!

Summer Dresses

Wearing dresses in the summer is so easy, just add shoes, grab a bag and go!

I always enjoy wearing this white dress, it's so comfy but I find that I have to wear accessories with it, otherwise I look like I'm wearing a nightie, I love it anyway.




This Louche tea dress was a clothes swap find, originally from Joy. I find that the tulip sleeves make it nearly impossible to wear anything over the top without feeling bulked up and uncomfortable, so all I can do is prey for good weather and hope for the best. It's too pretty to part with even if I have to wait for the perfect weather conditions to wear it.

As with the Louche dress, this paisley dress is an add-shoes-and-go option, but thankfully I can wear things over the top if needs be. It's the perfect summer dress for me - not too short, high at the neck and with little sleeves. I very rarely show my knees and my shoulders in the same outfit these days.

This floral maxi has been a summer staple for three years now. It is a little long so I've taken to buttoning it up at the front to create a waterfall effect, which I rather like. I did try knotting the hem (middle pic) but the knots ricocheted between my shins and nearly tripped me over on Ipswich high street. I won't be doing that again.

You can't really see it in the photo but the dress is tiered and I'm tempted to remove the bottom tier to make it a midi dress for next year...

Maxi Skirts

This charity shopped maxi skirt was worn a lot, it was particularly nice for going out, and proved to be versatile enough to wear on hot days and cooler days - the cooler days I simply added a long sleeved top and knee high boots. This will layer up nicely in the autumn with tights and a vest top layered underneath.


Another charity shop find, this maxi skirt is the only yellow item in my wardrobe. It's not a colour I can really wear, certainly not around my face - it washes me out completely, but this skirt has been worn every summer since I found it back in 2012. It's light and comfortable and, again, can be worn with boots and a jumper for extra warmth. I'm keeping this in my autumn capsule too, the colour is just too autumnal not to!

Trousers

Lightweight khaki trousers are a great alternative to jeans in the warmer months, and especially good when you're not sure what the weather has in store.


Of course there were the nondescript jeans days. I've had a long standing love affair with jeans, and before I started my capsule wardrobes I wore them 99% of the time, they're just so easy. This is the only pair I allowed in my summer capsule and I have to admit I'm looking forward to getting my skinny jeans back now that my autumn capsule is underway.

The end of my autumn capsule will see in a whole year of living with a 37 piece capsule wardrobe, how is it possible that another year is almost over?!

Autumn is here again, which means I'm starting on my a new seasonal to-do list, but first here's how I got on with my summer list:

Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold

Southwold was visited on my birthday with Mother, we sat in a tearoom overlooking a little lake and enjoyed mint tea. After a wander on the beach and down the pier, we had a meander through the town, and then enjoyed a lunch of fish 'n' chips. We did the whole thing in reverse before heading home. Most enjoyable.


I visited Felixstowe seafront after the start of the new school term, it was a warm hazy day and blissfully quiet on the beach. I timed my visit to coincide with lunchtime and sat eating my chips with my legs dangling over the seawall. It didn't take long for the gulls to start gathering.


I was fine just sat there until a lady walked by and said "they're after your food, make sure they don't attack you love".  I wondered if they'd really attack, and with that thought bouncing around my head, I suddenly felt extremely outnumbered. I decided it was time to move on. My chips tasted just as good walking along the beach, and I was delightfully gull free.


Try three new ice cream flavours

This was written without knowing that my GP was going to suggest I went dairy free for a while. I did sneak the teeniest, tiniest taste of my friends delicious honeycomb ice cream at Jimmy's Festival but that doesn't count.

I found a dairy free vanilla ice cream in Tesco, so at least I could indulge. It's pretty good stuff, I can't tell the difference but I am limited to vanilla until I seek out an alternative.


Have a picnic

I ate outside on many occasions which I'm counting as picnics, but there was no traditional blanket on the grass and wicker basket.


Visit a maize maze

The Southwold maize maze opened on July 16th I had every intention of going but plans just didn't come together. Maybe next year?



Take a trip to Snape Maltings and Marlsford Mill

Marlsford Mill was ticked off the list on the way back from Southwold, but I didn't make it as far as Snape Maltings.

Marlsford Mill is an old mill, on the A12, stacked to the rafters with vintage, re purposed, and refurbished furniture and curios, from different sellers. My friends have a space there and I'd been meaning to visit for a while. I was lucky enough to come out with my purse intact, but it's definitely worth a visit if you like a poke around for second hand furniture and house bits.



Forage for and make elderflower cordial / gin (failing that, elderberry gin)

I missed the elderflowers, and left it too late to pick many elderberries. But I only made a small batch of elderberry gin, so I promised myself I'd also make a large batch of blackberry gin. Whilst searching for elderberries I did spend a few very pleasing hours wandering about the hedgerows, scoping out some sloe bushes and rosehips for future foraging.


Go to an outdoor movie

This was a bit of a cheat due to the fact that I already had tickets when I put it on the list. Then a few days before the event I was contacted to say it'd been cancelled due to poor early ticket sales. The wet weather we'd had had put people off booking.

I was gutted, they were showing The Lost Boys which is one of my all time favourite films (firstly because I had a teenage crush on Corey Haim, which turned into a bit of a thing for Jason Patric as I got older, and he kept getting better with age). But it was also going to be the last date night for Andy and I before harvest began, so I wasn't best pleased.

Not to be put off, I looked to see what other films Pop Up Pictures were showing over the summer. Top Gun stood out, and I roped in my best friend for company. But, when it came to it neither of us wanted to go, it didn't start until 9pm and, both feeling a bit old fartish, we decided to stay at home, opting to get together for lunch and a movie during the week instead.


Pick strawberries / raspberries and eat sun warmed berries whilst still in the field

I took Mother to Alder Carr Farm for lunch and whilst there we filled punnets with juicy, sweet strawberries. Sadly, we couldn't eat any straight from the plant as workers were nearby, busy filling punnets to sell in store. Tasting a few cheeky strawberries is long held tradition in our family! 

Decorate until my arms fall off

Arms are still attached, but I have made some good progress on the DIY front. Mostly because I'm currently taking a week off work to plough through my to-decorate list. I became so annoyed with myself for making such little progress over the summer that I made the time and forced myself to do it. I'm now feeling pretty smug to have the glossed the paintwork in the entrance, stained three new doors, and painted our front door a pleasing shade of green. I'm hoping to paint the kitchen before Monday rolls around.



Read 5 books - preferably sitting in my hammock in the sunshine.

I finished A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, which was generally read in bed when it was still light outside. When I was a kid I used to hate going to bed when it was still light, it just didn't feel like bedtime (especially when you could hear other children still playing outside), but now I really like it.

Next up I read Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith, followed by The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

Then, The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall, which jumped the queue when I saw a rave review on Instagram, and was read largely in my hammock, in the sunshine for a few hours every afternoon.

A Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell had me questioning the way we do things in this country, the way we view things as a nation, as individuals. Very interesting reading.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was read one Saturday morning, in bed, whilst a cup of tea went cold. I know some people hated the book, or had issues with it, but I allowed myself to be swept away into the world of Hogwarts and enjoyed every last second of it.

Storm by Virginia Bergin, is the follow up to Rain, both of which I enjoyed - easy to read, entertaining and they both made me tear up on occasion.

Then I was back to Alexander McCall Smith with The Kalahari Typing School for Men. I like these easy reads, but on a few occasions I was pleased to find a plot turn out differently to how I expected - most refreshing.

And finally, The Girl of Ink and Stars (also good). Summer turned out to be very bookish, with me finishing nine books. More than I've read in ages.

I'm starting my quest to read every book currently on my bookshelf before my next birthday, with An Artist of The Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro.

What did you get up to this summer?

It took me quite a while to put together my spring capsule wardrobe, but this time around it's been much easier. I swapped just ten items from my spring capsule to make up my summer version. I removed items that I didn't wear a great deal - like my super warm wax jacket, a stripe sweatshirt, chunky knit jumper, and a woollen poncho.

I kept everything I purchased for my spring capsule, which makes me feel better about buying it all. And I added some favourites from last summer, all of which were charity shop finds. I made just one new purchase - a Bardot top from ASOS, which means that over half of my capsule items are pre-loved.

Here's my 2016 summer capsule wardrobe.


The rules of this capsule wardrobe are simple:
- Pick 37 items from my wardrobe
- Store everything else away
- Accessories, gym clothes, PJs, and going out clothes can be worn in addition to the capsule

I've got lots of dresses this season that I'm really looking forward to wearing, but only one pair of jeans. Perhaps rather naively I'm counting on the sun to shine it's little heart out all summer long (I am utterly ignoring the fact that's it's been raining so much recently!).

Summer, I'm ready for you.

My seasonal capsule wardrobe is inspired by Un-Fancy.

With spring behind us I'm hoping for less rain, more sun, and some warm weathered adventures.

Here's my list of ten things to do in summer '16.

1. Visit three different beaches in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Aldeburgh, Southwold

2. Try three new ice cream flavours

3. Go on a picnic

4. Visit a maize maze - Kezzie the Southwold maze opens on July 16th :)

5. Take a trip to Snape Maltings and Marlsford Mill.

6. Forage for and make elderflower cordial / gin (failing that, elderberry gin)

7. Go to an outdoor movie

8. Pick strawberries / raspberries and eat sun warmed berries whilst still in the field

9. Decorate until my arms fall off

10. Read 5 books - preferably whilst lounging in my hammock in the sunshine.

What do you have planned for the summer months?

1. Go to the beach and eat ice cream (more than once)

OK, so I managed just two trips but they were lovely (and so was the ice cream). The first time I went it was a gorgeous morning, I went a little pink in the sunshine but by the time I'd returned home the heavens had opened.


My second visit was on a cooler day, the sun was a hazy blob behind the clouds, I decided to eat hot salty chips and drink scolding hot, sweet tea instead of having an ice cream. There was barely soul to be seen, it was bliss.

2. Exercise!

Ha! hahahahaha. Ah hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

OK, so I've started going to a clubbercise class (dark room, easy dance steps, disco lights and glow sticks), and a Pilates class once a week. I'm not going to jinx it by saying I'll be going every week but it does feel good to be doing something again.


3. Make a wedding album and get a few photos printed and into frames

I haven't done the album yet as I'm waiting on some photos to find their way to me from various relatives, but I have had a few printed and put into frames.


4. Make a dress or skirt (or maybe both!)

I was really after a pattern for a dress like the one above, so I could make a floral ditsy print version, but I didn't find anything even close. I'll keep looking though (any suggestions of places to buy patterns online would be greatly appreciated). That said, it's so simple I might be able to create my own pattern to work from...

5. Finish my patchwork quilt

I have made progress over the summer but it's no where near finished yet...

6. Start (and finish?) a cross stitch I've had sat in my drawer since 2013

I've made a start.

7. Redecorate our bedroom (after the kitchen)

The bedroom is untouched. The kitchen is scheduled for October. I've roped in my Mum and her husband to help and they suggested this as a 'nice month for DIY'. Who am I to argue?

I was going to paint my bedroom walls grey but I'm over it. Question is what colour do I go for instead?

8. Pick strawberries / raspberries and eat my body weight whilst still in the field
 
I missed the strawberry season entirely, with the honeymoon and a busy work schedule I just didn't get round to it. I'll go next year though, definitely.


I did make it in time for the raspberries. I popped up to Alder Carr Farm and spent a good half hour wandering around in the sunshine, picking (and eating) sun warmed raspberries.

At home I popped some on my Bircher breakfast, and the rest of them on the last of my homemade ice cream, which triggered the idea to make my second batch raspberry flavoured.


9. Make my own ice cream.

Yes! I started with a classic vanilla recipe from Mary Berry, and then added raspberries, but now I'm pondering some different flavours. Strawberry and lavender for example. Rhubarb maybe? Elderflower?

10. Try a new recipe.

The ice cream recipe was new to me...

I can't believe it's nearly Autumn again already. What have you got planned?

(Day 25 of blogging everyday for 40 days)