This year I'm joining A Buyer's Archive with Elise, to keep track of my spending on clothes and accessories.

I'm posting this a little early as I've vowed to stop spending this month. Umm, I seem to remember doing a similar thing last October, which didn't quite have the outcome I'd hoped for...

That said, I'm not issuing a spending ban, I'm just not spending anymore until next month, which is seven days away - even I can manage that.

At the end of last month I worked out that I had £54.70 per month to spend on clothes and accessories between September and December, in order to come in below my £745.00 goal.

In September I spent £4.75 - a very good start, however this month hasn't gone quite so well.

Early in October I had a little look in Next to see if they had their new season coats in stock, they did. And I purchased one. And a pair of shoes, and some jewellery. I was on my way home from a massage, feeling very chilled out with nothing to rush home for (except housework), so I decided to have a good look around.

Grey hand finished military coat  |  £95.00  |  Next
I hadn't planned on buying a coat, I just wanted to see what they had on offer, y'know for future reference. I tried this on, decided I liked it, and that I'd keep it in mind as a definite possibility. But as I made my way to pay for my other items I thought 'fuck it', and that is how the coat came to be mine. How's that for an impulse purchase?

Fringed loafers  |  £28.00  |  Next
These are a little different to anything else I own, they'll look cute with skinny jeans and several other items in my wardrobe. And I feel they're a little more autumnal than my ballet flats and loafers, with a bigger heel and more substantial sole.

Necklace  |  £14.00  |  Next (not available online)
I loved this the moment I saw it (hello, pom poms!) and tried to think of what I'd wear it with. I came up blank. I told myself that if I couldn't think of even one thing to pair it with, I couldn't have it. I was about to walk away then my white dress popped into my mind and that was all the persuasion I needed.

Earrings  |  £4.00  |  Next (not available online)
Cute, delicate and only £4.00...

When I got home I tried it all on, and worked out what I could wear everything with. My thoughts of perhaps returning the coat went out the window when I realised that the last time I purchased a coat I really liked was before I met my husband!

I'm glad to say my new shiny things have all been worn already.

But the shopping didn't end here. I took myself off to Felixstowe for wander on the beach and I made a tiny charity shop purchase.


Wallis spot dress  |  £8.00 |  Charity shop
Sadly the hem is wonky, a fact that I managed to miss completely in the shop, so I'll need to alter this before I wear it. Pretty though right?

And then came a trip to Bury St Edmunds to meet Sophie and trawl the charity shops. I was rather restrained this time around, only buying three items.

Phase Eight black dress  |  £8.00  |  Cancer Research shop
I really like this but it isn't the best fit. I'm pondering making it into a midi skirt, I'll wear it more as a skirt than an ill fitting dress - if I do a good job of altering it.

T-shirt  |  £2.50  |  Cancer Research shop
A decorating t-shirt. After a huge wardrobe cull earlier this year I hadn't left much in the way of 'clothes I can happily ruin in the process of making my home beautiful'.

Monsoon cardigan  |  £3.50  |  RSPCA shop
It's not particularly flattering, but it's big, cosy and warm, and some days it's all about the cosy!

Which gives me a whopping total of £163.00 for October (so much for my £54.70 budget!).

Overall total for 2016: £694.60

Which leaves me with £50.40 to hit my target of £745.00. Yikes, two months to go...

Check out the #buyersarchive hashtag on Twitter to see posts from everyone taking part.

With so many hedgerows around our home I decided that this year I'd make more of the fruits they have to offer.

Rose hips were in plentiful supply, so I spent a rather soggy afternoon gathering enough to make a good quantity of rose hip syrup.

I used the River Cottage recipe.

I collected 1kg of rosehips which produced almost 500ml of syrup. It was rather therapeutic whizzing them up in batches. I added 1.25 litres water, bought the mixture to the boil, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

I then strained the mixture through two layers of muslin (two layers to be sure to get rid of the little hairs), leaving this to sit for 30 minutes so all the juice drained through.

Next I added 325g sugar, and heated this slowly until all the sugar had dissolved. Once done, I decanted this gorgeous looking liquid into a swing top bottle. It'll keep for four months in the fridge, although I doubt it will last anywhere near that long.


For my first taste I added a glug to plain (soya) yogurt, and topped with apple chunks. Verdict: lovely!

Rose hips contain twenty times more vitamin C than oranges, so they can help ward off a cold in winter, a teaspoon daily is enough or you can mix it with water like a cordial. It makes a tasty refreshing drink - fruity and sweet.


The next morning I enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes, replacing my usual maple syrup with rose hip. It gave a slightly tangy fruity taste, a nice change from the norm. Verdict: Delicious, I wanted seconds! I can see myself happily starting the day this way for a while.


I've found a lovely dairy free vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of rose hip syrup gave it a fruity twist. I added some blackberries that were a tiny bit sour, the syrup sweetened them just enough.



Apparently it's good with rice pudding too (one of my favourites) but I've yet to investigate a dairy free version. I could always make my own, and I can imagine the addition of rosehip syrup would be delicious. My porridge is also going to be rose hipped the next time I make it.

You can use it to sweeten and add flavour to tea but I love my teas exactly as they are (I gave up sweetening my tea when I found ants in the sugar bowl on a Brownie camp when I was about ten years old).

At this rate my bottle won't last nearly long enough, so I might just have to venture out again to gather more for a second batch. And when that's gone I'll look forward to making more next year, it can be my annual autumn sweet treat!

Have you made or tried rose hip syrup - how do you use it?

A friend said to me recently that she was so used to her feet hurting [from wearing heels] she hardly noticed the pain any more.

I didn't know how to answer her. I wanted to say 'that's bloody ridiculous'. And then the ridiculousness of wearing heels knowing that they'll be uncomfortable made me feel a little foolish. I've done it so many times.

That said, I have noticed a move towards flatter, more comfortable shoes over the past few years. I have a lovely selection of pretty ballet flats and a rather super pair of metallic brogues that I now often wear in place of heels. But I also have a love of heels that will never wane.

My days of grin and bear it are (almost) over when it comes to shoes. I've walked home in bare feet countless times because it's more comfortable than keeping my shoes on. On a few occasions this happened in winter, in near freezing temperatures, the ground was so cold, and yet it was still preferable to walking in my heels.

I recall a few nights out that were rather spoilt by shoes pinching my feet, giving me blisters or making the balls of my feet ache so much I wanted to throw them into the nearest bin. And yet I still wore those shoes again.

Why do we do it?

I have a few pairs of high heels that are comfortable, but these are the exception rather than the rule. I'll be hanging on to these like my life depended on it.

Sadly, you have to purchase the shoes and wear them for longer than just the customary 'walk up and down a bit' in the shop, to know if they are truly comfortable.

Even when you order something online and you spend some time wandering around the carpeted parts of your house, it's never a true test of how a shoe will perform in real life.

I look at heels now and instead of thinking 'ooh pretty', in the way a younger me would, I now think 'they look like they'd hurt' (mostly).

I once read that spending more on heels guaranteed a more comfortable shoe but in my experience this just isn't true. My most expensive pair of shoes cost me £105 (and they were half price in the sale) and they are by far the most uncomfortable of all the shoes I've owned. I mean own, I can't part with them, they're too pretty, even though I won't ever wear them again.

So what to do? My love of heels remains, some outfits and occasions call for a lovely pair of heels.

I've been reading up on ways to make heels more comfortable. This is what I have learnt...
1. there are a lot of pins dedicated to this
2. it seems a lot of people are resigned to feeling pain when wearing heels
3. there is no way to tell if shoes will be comfortable or not (so I'd go with the assumption that they won't be)
4. I've spent too much of my life reading articles on the subject
5. The general consensus is that the way they look is worth the pain
6. I do not agree with no.5

*decides to backtrack slightly*

6. I do not agree with no.5 most days of the year.
I'd rather not wear heels that are going to hurt, but if they're new then you're never going to be absolutely certain that they'll be OK until you've worn them for a decent amount if time. Sure, there are some that you know as soon as you put them on that they'll hurt like hell, but there are those sneaky ones that seem OK, until they aren't.

I think from here on in if they are uncomfortable, they won't be staying in my wardrobe to be worn again.

7. For me Irregular Choice, New Look, and Zara have a pretty good track record.

Do you have any tips? Do you feel the pain and wear heels anyway?

I thought it would be fun to post a week of outfits from my autumn capsule wardrobe.

I wanted to make the most of the remaining warmer weather, before all hope of going coatless was gone until spring returned once again. Early October saw some pretty good weather, allowing me to wear items in my capsule that in all probability, I won't wear again now that the colder weather has kicked in.

Monday
Wearing one of my latest purchases for the first time, some fringed loafers from Next. I knew when I bought them that they'd look super with this dress. The dress was saved from the rag bin by being mended, and the cardigan is pre-loved, purchased on a day out with Sophie and Kezzie. The bag was bought back in October 2011, and it's starting to get that lovely worn, lived-in look that leather gets when it's been well used.
Tuesday
The wind was on the chilly side so I opted for knee high boots under my maxi skirt instead of my summer staples of ballet flats and loafers. They went rather well with this Fat Face cross the body bag - a birthday gift from Andy. The boots where a prize for coming 2nd place in one of Ceri's Ethical Outfit Competitions (with this entry). The denim jacket, skirt, and t-shirt are all pre-loved.

Wednesday
My necklace is a very recent purchase, one that I almost left in the shop. I couldn't think of a single thing I could wear it with... until I remembered this dress, this is the exactly how I imagined I'd wear it.


Thursday
Wearing that necklace again (poms poms and tassels!). The top is a few years old (first worn to a red carpet themed birthday party), the Toms I purchased in April this year, the Zara dungarees in August. They're pre-loved from ebay and possibly one of my favourite purchases of the year so far.

Later I popped a cardy over the top and was quickly reminded of the undressing required when nature calls, I can't be doing with that faff and this could mean these don't get worn much from here on in. It's fine though, I can put them away knowing that when the weather warms up I can enjoy wearing them again. It's unrealistic to think that you can wear everything all year round (but that doesn't stop me trying!).


Friday
Back in my beloved clothes swap midi skirt. I wore this a lot in spring, but not at all in summer because I decided to change the waistband (again), and it then spent the next three months sitting in my sewing pile!


Saturday
It's not often that I have an outfit these days that doesn't contain at least one pre-loved item but this is one of them. That said, every piece has been worn time and time again, and I've got no intention of stopping anytime soon.


Sunday
For the chilliest, yet sunniest day of the week, I'm back in my skinny jeans after an entire summer without them. I like that I'm wearing jeans less frequently these days, thanks to my capsule wardrobe, but you really can't beat a simple jeans and jumper combo. I added a scarf today, not because it's really cold, but because I've mentally let go of summer.


So there it is, a week in my autumn capsule wardrobe. I did love my summer capsule but it is nice to have a few different items to wear.

The warm weather has left us now, the sun still shines a little most days but the general temperature has turned decidedly colder, and it seemed to change noticeably almost overnight. I doubt I'll be going out with bare legs again, now I'll be found snuggling up in thick jumpers, wrapping myself in scarves.

So long summer. I look forward to seeing you again.

I loved my summer capsule and have to admit to feeling a little sad that I've put away some of the items until next year. I think it's been my favourite capsule so far.

An autumn capsule feels a lot like spring in that the weather could see warm days and cold, wet days.

I need to cover all bases. Many items from my summer capsule will remain, some have been in all three capsules so far are now making it a full house moving into the forth - my navy boat neck jumper, mid length navy cardigan, and a long sleeve stripe t-shirt.

I currently have 30 of my 37 items for autumn, I've left 7 slots open so I can add things as I go (and I have a shopping trip with Sophie coming up and we always come away with, ahem, a few purchases).

I've kept 19 of my summer capsule items, and have 9 items that have reappeared after being put away for spring and / or summer. So far I have two brand new items - my Next military coat and a long sleeved navy jumper that Andy gave me for my birthday.

I have 17 items that I've bought new, and 13 pre-loved items in this capsule, with most of my favourite pieces being from this category. One day I might add a made-by-me category...


The rules of this capsule wardrobe are simple:
- Pick 37 items from my wardrobe
- Store everything else away
- Accessories, gym clothes (ha!), PJs, and going out clothes are not included the capsule

There is a fourth rule, but it's not one that I seem to be able to stick too, and that's to stop all spending for the duration of each capsule, only making purchases at the beginning of each.

I'm quite relaxed about the rules. If I haven't worn an item I'm happy to swap it for something I feel I might wear more. I find this helps me to identify items that work in my wardrobe and those that don't, as a result I'm regularly popping items in a bag to go to charity.

I am looking forward to getting cosy in a few of my favourite jumpers, and it's time my scarves came out of hiding too. Happy autumn everyone!

Have you ever tried a capsule wardrobe? How did you get on?

My seasonal capsule wardrobe is inspired by Un-Fancy.

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?!

It was a six months ago now, but for our first anniversary we headed back to the scene of the crime - spending the night in the hotel where we were married.

Apparently it's not socially acceptable to wear your wedding dress in public the after the wedding day itself, so I had to make do with my 'day after' dress instead.

No matter what I knew I was going to wear this dress on our anniversary, even if we'd spent the evening in front of the TV (actually that's not true, if we'd done that I totally would've worn my wedding dress).

Anyway, I went with black shoes, a silver beaded bag, and a dark red pashmina, and painted my nails in my 'wedding red'. I wore the earrings I would've worn on our wedding day if Andy hadn't surprised me with pearl studs (and necklace) on the eve of our wedding.


Andy arranged for private dining in the McCallum Room where our ceremony was held. I had no idea we were eating in there and might have cried a tiny bit when I realised.

We sat opposite each other on a long table, with candles, a vase of red roses, and a white table cloth scattered with rose petals and tealights.

Our meal was delicious! The stunning medieval building and the excellent food were the main reasons we picked The Swan as our wedding venue. We've always been impressed with the food and quality of service, and Lavenham is such a beautiful village - worth a visit if you're ever in Suffolk.


The hotel bought back so many lovely memories - even the smell of the place took me back to our wedding day. The food was outstanding, the gin was crisp and cold, and the company wasn't bad either.

It was a super way to celebrate our first anniversary, and it felt nice to be wearing my day after dress again. Only six months until our second...

This year I'm joining A Buyer's Archive with Elise, to keep track of my spending on clothes and accessories.

Since 2012 I've been keeping a tally of my spending, but this is the first year I've been adding it up as I go along. Before I'd wait until the end of the year and then add it all up, which is probably how I ended up spending a lot last year.

2014 was my lowest spend, coming in at £745.65, and I'm determined to beat that this year.

At the end of last month my total for 2016 so far was £526.85, which gives me £218.80 to achieve my goal. This works out at £54.70 per month between September and December. I'm hoping to find a new winter coat this year and have my eye on a few pairs of boots, so I'm going to have to be careful with my pennies.

This month has seen only a few items purchased, both from my local charity shop.

Bracelet  |  Charity Shop  |  £1.25
Very similar to the Links of London friendship bracelets (although I know this isn't the real deal as the Links ones have the logo engraved on them), but I like it and have already worn it a lot.


Coin Purse  |  Charity Shop  |  £3.50
I love this style of coin purse but I rarely see it in shops (unless you count the teeny tiny ones for girl's in Accessorize - which I don't). My current one is looking a little tired so this one with it's polka dots, bow, and button will make a lovely replacement. I might add a few more embellishments - one button is never enough.

So a good month spending wise on two items that have already been worn / used a lot.

Total for September: £4.75 - a very satisfying £50 under budget.

Overall total for 2016: £531.60

Check out the #buyersarchive hashtag on Twitter to see posts from everyone taking part, usually Kezzie, Lucy, Janet, Donna and, obviously, Elise.