Kezzie got me thinking the other day about the way I wear things, when she wrote about how she used to be adverse to tucking anything in. I still am, I rarely tuck anything in, I can just about manage a 'half tuck' but that's where it ends.

I pondered other looks I can't 'do' - like ankle boots and bare legs with shorts or skirts. I think it looks great on others but when I try, I feel ridiculous.

Same goes for tights and shorts

Wearing shirts under jumpers
I tried this and I kinda liked it but it takes me ages to get properly comfortable, and clothes really shouldn't be hard work. Yet this is one I'd like to persevere with, it can't be that hard!


Tights and open toe shoes
Whether 10 denier or thick woolly tights I love this look but if I try it I feel really self conscious. The hosiery and shoes have to be just so for this look to work, so maybe I just haven't found the dream combination yet...


Head scarves
They slide off the back of my head - why won't they just stay put?


Neck scarves
You know I love a big chunky woollen scarf but when it comes to cute silk scarves, I can't seem to wear one without looking all air hostessy.


Other looks I can't 'do' - coats worn over shoulders, slouchy beanie hats or berets worn on the back of the head, shirts knotted at the waist, and completely buttoned up shirts.

What are the looks you'd love to wear but have yet to master? And what looks get a big thumbs down from you?

Here I am, half way through the duration of my spring capsule wardrobe, and I have just about finalised the items. I know, I took my time.

I knew at the beginning that I'd be doing some shopping and adding a few bits and pieces, so here's what the final selection looks like.

I decided not to add shoes to the final edit, instead allowing myself to wear anything I wanted south of my ankles. I found it too hard to pick just a few pairs, which perhaps suggests that I haven't got the balance of my capsule quite right, but the 'rules' aren't set in stone, and I prefer it this way.

Of my 37 items, 26 were things I already owned, 11 items are new, with 7 of those new items being from charity shops.  Overall 16 items are pre-loved.

I have purchased more for this capsule compared to my winter one but it's been harder to put together this time - thanks to the very changeable weather and my lack of t-shirts. I anticipate fewer purchases for my summer capsule (yep, mentally planning it already), and I'm hopeful that I'll purchase less than last year overall.

Have you ever tried a capsule wardrobe?

My seasonal capsule wardrobe is inspired by Un-Fancy.

I found a skirt at a clothes swap back in February and although the fit and elastic waist weren't really to my taste, the material was right up my street, and it had pockets!

I brought it home and hatched a plan to alter it in time for my spring capsule wardrobe (better late than never).

I wanted to add a zip and waistband, and make it more fitted around the waist. I needed to mend my paisley dress too, so I borrowed my Mum's sewing machine and set about both projects.

Altering the skirt was trickier than I first anticipated. My sewing skills are a little rusty. I found gathering the skirt really awkward, and the waistband could be much tidier, as could the buttonhole, but I used a nifty tutorial I found via Pinterest (where else?) that helped me sew the neatest zip ever sewn (or rather the neatest zip I've ever sewn).


The skirt was rather unflattering before (above) .....

But now I love it! I finished it, photographed it, and wore it out to dinner. I think I'm going to enjoy styling this in different ways.


I see the skirt as being free because I picked it up at a clothes swap but I spent £6.58 on the waistband material, interfacing, thread and a zip, I used a button from my stash. Which is not a bad price for a skirt and will undoubtedly be worn countless times over the spring and summer.

Do you alter clothes, or do you do what I normally do and let them sit in a mend pile for several months before giving them to charity?

Payday always means a little look in my favourite shops and this month I'm seriously tempted by a number of sweaters from Zara. These are my top three.

Asymmetric Knotted Sweater  |  £19.99
I think this would make a great addition to my spring capsule wardrobe, it will work well with the skirts I've selected and also with jeans. Dress it up, dress it down, it's versatile and very me. It looks a lot better on the model than the weird droopy picture here.

Round Neck Sweater  |  £19.99
A staple, and it has little buttons at the cuffs. Buttons :)

Asymmetric Hem Sweater  |  £22.99
I had something similar to this some years ago and wore it to death.

Moving on from sweaters


Ankle Boots  |  £17.99
These just happen to be exactly what I was looking for earlier in the year to complete my winter capsule (ask Sophie I was telling her all about my quest when we met). I wanted something with a bit of a heel, pull on, not suede i.e can be worn outside in the rain / mud, and dark red - just to make a change from black or brown.


Earlier in the year I ordered some Kurt Geiger boots but they were too high and not at all comfortable, and then a pair of brogue style boots from New Look, but they looked odd from above, like there was a bit of detail missing. Both pairs were returned and I stopped looking.

Would it be a good idea to purchase and pop them in my cupboard ready for autumn I wonder?

I don't have a Zara in my home town, which is a shame, although perhaps not for my bank balance. I can always find so much that makes me say 'that's nice, I like that', but it's the knitwear and footwear I love most of all.


In fact my wedding shoes came from Zara (nope, never going to stop dropping my wedding into the conversation).

What are you coveting this month?

I've been on a bit of a Googling frenzy after reading somewhere on the internet that you can use a few drops of lemon oil in your morning water, instead of lemon juice (spoiler alert - you can't).

I pondered it for a while and, having purchased a little bottle of said oil, I returned to the internet to seek more info.

Basically, as is always the way, what I found was a myriad of conflicting info. Among them too many people saying that ingesting any essential oil was a huge no-no. This is the post that convinced me it was a bad idea and had me feeling relieved I'd researched it further.

So, back to plain old lemon juice in my morning drink it is (when I remember to buy lemons). The benefits are wildly documented and now that I'm used to the slightly strange taste I enjoy it as my first drink of the day.

But I was left with a little bottle of lemon oil, which the internet tells me has many amazing and beneficial uses, and I wanted to use it. I read loads of websites telling me that it's great for x, y and z. But few that told me exactly how to use the oil to reap the benefits. I must've read ten posts on the benefits for every post I found that told me how.

For example here is a statement from the Experience Essential Oils website:

Lemon oil benefits skin and hair; and may reduce the appearance of blemishes if added to moisturizer. Add it your shampoo to promote cleaning or add to conditioner to support healthy hair and bring on the shine!

OK, great!

But, do I add a few drops to my bottle of moisturiser or a few drops to the amount I apply daily? And what about a carrier oil? (one thing I did learn on this search was never to use undiluted essential oil directly on skin). How much do I add to shampoo? to conditioner? Do I add to both or just one?

This was just the tip of the mildly irritating iceberg.

Anyway I'm sure you get my point, so here's what I did find:

This link on beautymunsta.com has a good tip for using lemon oil to fight acne:

Lemon essential oil is one of the most powerful anti-acne essential oils. It contains powerful ingredients like antioxidants, vitamin C, citric acid, etc, which fight off acne causing germs and boost collagen production, thereby reducing scarring. Mix a drop of lemon essential oil in 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Store this in a small jar and massage it onto your face to gradually remove acne completely with no side effects like scarring.

Backdoor Survival make some suggestions I'm skeptical about (due to adding undiluted oil to water and / or applying directly to the skin) but no.14. seems like a good one to remember:

Relieve Cold Sores & Fever Blisters: Dab a drop of lemon oil on the cold sore 2 to 3 times daily. If the lemon oil stings, dilute first with a bit of coconut oil or olive oil.

And I like no.18: Improve Mental Clarity: Diffuse lemon in your work or study space to improve mental accuracy and concentration.

I've got the oil burner going as I type. It smells delicious!

And no.28: Mosquito Repellent: Mix lemon oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil) and run over your skin to repel mosquitos who hate the smell.

Better than the smell of Jungle Gel, right?

Thanks to Holland & Barrett I now know this - Never pour essential oils direct and undiluted in water: mix a few drops of essential oil in a base oil, whole milk or cream, and add it to bath water, or a shower gel. 5 to 10 drops of essential oil are sufficient per 10ml of base oil.

I read somewhere (I can't find it now) that adding it to your bath water can really lift your mood, so I'll be adding some to mine when the need arises - mixed with a carrier oil of course.

It goes without saying that this only touches on a few uses but it's a good start for me and my little bottle of oil. There are loads of ways to use it around the house, including removing the sticky residue left by stickers e.g. on the soles of your shoes, on the pretty vase you were given as a wedding present, on the bottom of your brand new cat mug :)

I'm determined to find more info on using it with shampoo and / or conditioner - I'll keep you posted.

Do you use essential oils for anything? I'd love to hear about it if you have, I'm interested to know more.