7am
Up at 7am, I was lured downstairs by the smell of toast. I fed the cats, put some laundry in the machine, made myself a cuppa, and stole my husband's breakfast.

8am
I would've really liked to get up and make myself another cuppa but I was pinned to the sofa by The Girl Cat. Andy and I were watching the news which isn't the most cheerful way to start the day. Not long after I freed myself from the sofa and made myself a bowl of porridge. I tidied up a bit and contemplated the day ahead.

9am
Half an hour of yoga, with a jasmine green tea accompaniment. 

10am
Quietness descending. The snow didn't get much heavier than this. A few hours later the snow turned to intermittent rain and the snow began to disappear. I changed the sheets, had a shower, washed and dried my hair, sorted a Morrison’s delivery (the driver got stuck turning around and Andy had to tow him), had a cuppa, hung some washing on the airer, and put some more washing in the machine.

11am
The Girl Cat found herself a comfy spot and I was contemplating another cuppa. And lunch. As it was too early to eat I tackled the ironing pile.

12pm
Lunchtime!! I was so hungry, I'd been thinking about scrambled eggs since breakfast. 

1pm
Husband just made my day by appearing with this chocolate. He received it in a hamper for Christmas and I'd mistakenly thought it was hot chocolate powder. It wasn't. It was delicious!

2pm
I gave this tiny puzzle to my Mum for Christmas, knowing that she likes a challenge. When she finished it she gave it to me saying “I thought you might like to have a go”. Now I know this was payback, it’s a sod to do. I sat there for 40 minutes and put in just 3 pieces. I was ready to throw it away. Or burn it.

3pm
Contemplated a fifth load of washing. Gotta make the most of the central heating being on eh? With another load in, I set about making progress on a needle felt fox kit I was given for Christmas. Below is the before photo. I spent half an hour making two front legs. I'd hoped to finish it but wasn't really in the mood to continue.

4pm
Sitting on the sofa with some snacks and a book.

5pm
Snacks eaten, The Girl Cat had taken up her usual position.  

 

6pm
Reading paused for now. Supper (pasta bake) needed to be cooked. I used up all the old veg - cabbage, leeks, and a sad looking red pepper.

 

7pm
The Girl Cat was back. The evening's TV viewing looked pretty poor, we'd watched Celebrity Mastermind (which I enjoy because the general knowledge questions are much easier than usual) but then we shunned Celebrity Catchpoint, Pointless Celebrities, and later Michael McIntyre's The Wheel (which I believe also features celebrities) in favour of watching a firm favourite of ours on DVD - The West Wing.

8pm
Other than to make a cuppa and to have a loo break not much had changed in the last hour.

9:30pm
Bed. Fresh sheets. Bliss.  

The next day I got up and read for a while before heading out for a bracing circular walk with Andy. After lunch I sorted another food delivery, because somehow I managed to book two in two days (don't worry, not many perishables so nothing will go to waste), then I set about mending a top. I worked on it all afternoon, and I still didn't finish it!

Later Andy heated us up a pizza and we settled in for another night of The West Wing.

I hope you had a lovely weekend. I enjoyed mine, it's always nice to have Andy about a bit more, although he does pop out here and there. I have to admit I'm feeling fed up of being in lockdown again. We've still got another month to go and I keep thinking about all the things I'm going to do when it's safe to do so - all of which I'd love to be doing right now. Patience.

Thanks to Louisafor hosting. 

Last year I decided to make monthly resolutions but with the year we had I stopped making any after March, and focused on getting through the weirdness that was 2020.

This year I've decided that I want to focus on less. Accumulating and having less to be specific. To be a more mindful consumer.

An Instagram post I saw at the end of 2019 sparked the idea, this person purchased just five items over the course of the year (barring gifts for others, and essentials like food and toiletries). Five items - a shower squeegee, a silicon food pouch and a coconut bottle brush, and two lovely Christmas decorations (a rather splendid ceramic carrot and turnip).

I admired the dedication that required. She said it was simply a case of making the decision that she wouldn't buy anything, that she had all she needed. (I'd link to the post but I couldn't find it when I scrolled back).

I'd been thinking about this post over the course of 2020 and I think it's what prompted me to buy my final purchase of the year - a book called The Year of Less by Cait Flanders. I've already read it and I've realised that giving up unnecessary spending is more than just deciding, it's a process of breaking habits that have been formed over a number of years.

I haven't got it all figured out yet, but I'm hopeful that I can shift my focus to using and appreciating what I have, and doing some more decluttering in the process. Of course I see the irony of buying a book to help me stop spending but it was an interesting read (although the author talked a lot about her life and not as much about her spending ban as I'd have liked).

The first and probably most obvious change I can make it to use the flippin' library! I signed up for a library card a few years ago and other than taking shelter in there from the rain one day I haven't actually borrowed a single book. Of course my local library is shut at the moment, but it'll reopen when this latest lockdown is lifted.

I kept a list of all my spending last year and books are definitely one area in which I can spend less. I might not need to use my local library much as I have more than 50 books sitting in my TBR pile, which is more than enough to keep me entertained for an entire year. But if I need a reference book, a cookery book, or am tempted by the latest 'must-read' then I'll be making my way to the library.

I've said this many times before but clothes are another area for improvement, I have more than enough, although I can foresee a few things I might need. But need is the key word here.

For example I know I'll need some vest tops soon, ones to sleep in, as the elastic is going on the ones I have (they're all a good few years old), and I'll need some new underpants at some point, honestly some of my current ones are in a shameful state, I hope I don't get run over.

I don't foresee any occasions coming up that will require a specific clothing purchase, weddings, evening events, and other special occasions won't be on the cards for a while thanks to the continuing pandemic, but even if an invitation came my way I'm confident that I have something suitable in my wardrobe already.

As I say I haven't got it all figured out just yet but the intention, and basic idea is there. Being in lockdown again with non essential shops shut certainly helps in the short term, allowing me to work on resisting online impulse purchases.

There are other things I would like to do this year but I'm not sure I'd call them resolutions, I'm pretty certain that wanting to grow coral coloured sunflowers, and double the amount of peas don't count :) but that raises the question are seeds an essential purchase? I think we can all agree that they are, yes?

Are you making any resolutions?

Take care and stay safe.
xx

Just a quick one for me today, and something a little different. I've just read Kezzie's Style Imitating Art post, and whilst I've always enjoyed reading these I've never taken part - until today.

I was wearing a white shirt under a mustard jumper and realised how easy it would be for me to change my earrings, bung a blue snood on my head and ta-dah! I would be transformed into Vermeer's The Girl with the Pearl Earring - a painting that I have always loved!

It very much reminded me of a viral challenge that emerged during the first lockdown where people recreated famous works of art at home, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and this presented the perfect opportunity for me to have a go myself.

Below are some links if you'd like to see some of these recreated artworks. Some are genius, some are funny, some ridiculous but they're all worth a look!

demilked.com

timeout.com

metro.co.uk 

It was a nice distraction to what had started out as a bit of a frustrating day, and really lifted my mood. Style Imitating Art has a new host this week, Terri, and you can see everyone's interpretations on her blog tomorrow.

I hope you're well and staying safe and sane.

xx

Here's my annual breakdown of spending on clothes and accessories for 2020. I've been keeping track since 2012, and I've included the figures from previous years for easy comparison. You can see every item I purchased in my previous post.

Spending total?
2012  £1,751.00
2013  £1,188.00
2014  £745.65
2015  £1,207.87
2016  £742.39
2017  £663.03
2018  £546.18
2019  £400.10
2020  £205.85
I'm delighted that I managed to reduce my spending so much this year, I think being in lockdown might've helped as I didn't step foot in a charity shops for weeks on end!

These yearly totals illustrate the journey I have been on since I started blogging. My spending habits are certainly nearer to what I'd like them to be, when I first started blogging I used to buy mostly new and didn't give much thought to how long I kept something or how many times I wore it, and I rarely purchased second hand.

How many items did I buy?
2012  138
2013  131
2014  76
2015  74
2016  63
2017  83
2018  71
2019  66
2020  20
Just 20 items in 2020, that's rather neat. I had planned on buying one item per month but I'm still happy with this total. Can I get it lower in 2021?

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
2012  42%
2013  58%
2014  46%
2015  41%
2016  37%
2017  52%
2018  69%
2019  87%
2020  80%
Not my highest percentage but still good, however I would like to improve on this in 2021.

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
(at the end of the year they were purchased)
2012  90%
2013  65%
2014  ??
2015  75%
2016  85%
2017  85%
2018  97%
2019  86%
2020  95%
Only one item has been donated back to charity, a pair of men's jeans that proved to be a little bit too snug about the hips.

Total of discarded items
2012  unknown
2013  £240
2014  £91.47
2015  unknown
2016  unknown
2017  £88.14
2018  £21.17
2019  £29.72
2020  £4.50
And if they'd been a better fit they would've stayed in my wardrobe.

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
2012  33.3%
2013  13%
2014  ??
2015  5%
2016  12%
2017  19%
2018  22%
2019  3%
2020  30%
A swimsuit and a preloved dress remain unworn. I had an inkling that the dress wouldn't get worn but it was so pretty and such a bargain (£9.00) I couldn't resist it. I bought the swimsuit hoping that I'd get to the beach at some point in the summer but I stayed away when we were allowed to return to avoid the crowds. Also not worn were 3 tops and a pair of shorts that were purchased at the end of the summer when the weather gave up and my opportunity to wear them vanished, but they'll be worn as soon as they can be.

What was the most expensive item?
2012  £105.00 (half price) Kurt Geiger shoes
2013  £35.00 each for a pair of Toms and Next ballet pumps
2014  £64.00 for my very first pair of Irregular Choice shoes
2015  £85.00 on an occasion dress
2016  £95.00 for a winter coat
2017  £25.60 for my green skirt
2018  £66.15 jeans (full price £105)
2019  £32.00 ASOS jumpsuit
2020  £70.00 new leather rucksack

What was most expensive pre-loved item?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  £45.00 French Connection maxi dress  
2015  £34.99 Irregular choice frog shoes
2016  £18.00 ASOS floral wiggle dress
2017  £24.99 burgundy leather knee high boots (sold in 2018 on ebay for £22.00)
2018  £12.00 black knee high boots
2019  £13.00 sequin bag
2020  £9.50  Seasalt dress
It's expensive for a second hand dress in my opinion but as they retail at around £80, and it's good quality and well made, so I was happy to part with the cash. It's still the cheapest of the most expensive items bought over the years, so I'm calling it a win.

What was the cheapest of both categories?
2012  unknown
2013  unknown
2014  New grey vest top £2.00. Pre-loved scarf £1.25
2015  New blue pants for my wedding day £4.00. Pre-loved cork purse 75p
2016  New I purchased several items for £4.00. Pre-loved bracelet £1.25
2017  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay 99p
2018  New flip flops for 90p. Pre-loved £1.00 each for a pink scarf, and red summer top
2019  New ASOS boots £9.50 (sale). Pre-loved heart print vest top £1.00 (sale)
2020  New £19.49 New Look floral midi dress. Pre-loved button down camisole top £1.50.

2020 Buyer's Archive Resolutions - how did I do?
My goal for 2020 was simple. To buy, spend, and discard less than 2019, and I succeeded on all counts!

In 2021 I want to buy only what I need. Wish me luck!

Here are all the clothing and accessory purchases I made in 2020, a total of just 20 items. I had planned to buy one item per month and whilst I obviously didn't stick to it, it was successful in curbing my spending more than anything else I've tried.

When I saw an item I liked I would ask myself if I liked it enough for it to be my 'one item', most of the time to answer was 'no', and it went back on the rail.

I don't doubt that being in lockdown had an impact on my spending, even when we were out of lockdown I didn't want to venture out too much, I can probably count the number of times I stepped foot in a charity shop since April on one hand. Which is no bad thing (except for the shops obviously).

My only truly nonsense purchase was a pre-loved Monsoon dress. It's not the sort of thing anyone needs during lockdown but it's just so lovely. I'm sure that at some point the perfect occasion to wear it will present itself, even if I have to wait a while.

The most expensive purchase was the leather rucksack and given that this was purchased a week before we were put in to lockdown for the first time, and the need for a bag vanished overnight, it's actually been used a decent amount. It's the only bag I've used when I've been out since I purchased it. With luck (and mass vaccinations) I'll be able to use it so much more in 2021.

I hope you're well, stay safe, stay inside, and keep smiling!
xx

With Wearing It All Summer complete, I moved onto Wearing It All Autumn. I didn't know how long I'd keep it up for as the deeper into Autumn we got the more the weather thwarted my efforts to take daily outfits shots outside, my efforts to take photos inside has always been fruitless, but I continued for as long as I could.

I don't rejoice in the arrival of autumn, I prefer the warmer months when I can go out without a coat, the first time I wear a pair of socks after the summer always elicits a sigh of resignation, no more sunshine for a while...

I like jumpers, scarves, lighting the wood burner but letting go of summer is always a bit of a trial. This year it seemed that summer vanished overnight, replaced by howling winds and lashing rain. There was no gentle transition.

By the time I'd started week four of my autumnal Wearing It All, and I'd given up on trying to wear just one layer or going sockless. I wore scarves, and three layers on some days.

I started this challenge with a haircut. I did it myself, after watching a number of YouTube tutorials I decided to give it a go. It looked OK (it now needs another trim). I've yet to find a hairdresser that cuts my hair exactly how I ask them too, so in terms of getting what I wanted it's a success. Sure, it wasn't technically brilliant, but it was good enough, and I saved myself £35 and half an hour in a chair wearing a face mask, making small talk.

So, five paragraphs into the post, here's week one of Wearing It All Autumn. The first two days saw the last of the sunshine. I actually took off the long navy cardy and pottered in the garden relishing the feeling of the sun on my skin. But the next day it started to rain, then the wind got up (see day 5) and it didn't get much better.

Day 3 and 4 I wore one of my new tops. With the Summer Wearing It All challenge I know I have to wear something different everyday otherwise I wouldn't stand a chance of wearing all of my warm weather clothes. The summer challenge caused a lot of washing, and it took me a while to work my way through the resulting ironing pile! But as I have fewer cold weather clothes I can wear them more than once. I normally rarely wear something just once and then wash it, unless I dribble my dinner down the front (which happens more often than it probably should). I'm happy to wear something 3 or 4 times before dropping it into the laundry basket, especially if it's been worn with something underneath. How many times do you wear your clothes before washing them? My Aunt will wear something a maximum of twice, but my Uncle will wear something all week - if my Aunt lets him get away with it :)

The rain continued into week 2.

Out came the thicker layers, I did try to go bare ankled on a few days but usually by midday I'd pulled on a pair of socks and some slippers. It was socks weather from this point forward.

I went out twice during week 2, you can tell by the fact I'm carrying a bag. One was a trip to the supermarket, the other a trip to the post office, charity shop, and garden centre. I filled the boot with plants, some for the garden, others for the hanging baskets. I was so focused on the plants that once I'd wandered about outside I was half way round the inside before I realised I'd forgotten to put on my face mask. I was mortified and hoped no one had noticed. There were only a few other customers, and I hadn't been in spitting distance of anyone (not that I spit, it's disgusting), but I still felt awful, I'd been so engrossed in my own thoughts that simply hadn't registered the fact that I'd passed from outside to in.

Week 3 and I grabbed all of my jumpers and cardigans out of storage, and every last item of summer clothing was stored away. The long mustard cardigan is my most recent clothing purchase. I'd popped to my local charity shop after my friend told me that they're getting loads of items donated but not much custom. I'd hate to see it close so I made a few purchases - every little helps right?

This is where I stopped photographing the Wearing It All challenge, the weather was miserable and didn't allow for daily photos so whilst I still tried to wear as much of my wardrobe as possible, I just didn't document it, and I'm sure there's only so many photos of me standing in front of a wall that you can stomach.

We're well into winter now with icy cold winds and gales, overnight frosts that last all day and the threat of snow. It's rather nice not to have anywhere to go at the moment.

I hope you're all well, take care, and keep warm!
xx