Each month I'm posting my clothing and accessory purchases in A Buyer's Archive, inspired by Elise, to keep track of what I'm buying and spending, and to compare with that of last year.

THIS YEAR

Only a few purchases this month, two new items, and one pre-loved. My new purchases are wardrobe staples and I have no doubt that they will be worn time and time again. The navy jumper, £16.00 (worn in the picture above), was a replacement for one I've been wearing regularly for two years.


I bought this navy jumper two years ago because I knew it would be a versatile piece. It's been in every capsule I've had and has been worn both casually and dressed up countless times, a few of which you can see in the above montage. My new one isn't an exact match but it's close enough. I bought a grey one, also £16.00, knowing that it would slot into my wardrobe with ease.

I now ask myself if I'll wear something 30 times or more before making a new purchase, and with these two jumpers the answer was most certainly 'yes'. I've had them only a few weeks and I've worn the navy one half a dozen times already, the grey one twice.

My pre-loved item is a super cute White Stuff shirt with embroidered hearts, found in a charity shop 'Everything-a-Pound' sale. With a vest underneath, jeans, boots and a woolly scarf it's going to be prefect for the coming season.

I'm turning my thoughts to cosy jumpers and thick socks now that autumn is well on it's way, I'm really going to miss the warmer days and lighter evenings. I don't feel like we had a proper summer this year, but you can always depend on the cold weather to materialise!

LAST YEAR
I only spent £4.75 in September last year. I purchased two charity shop items - a £3 coin purse that I'm still using, and a bracelet for £1.25 that has been worn a lot.

Total for September: £33.00

Total so far for 2017: £427.88

Total at this time last year: £531.60

I'm still under last year's spend, and £170 under budget for this year with three months to go - can you believe there are only three months of the year left?!

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

Today marks seven years since I published my first post on World Of Joy. I'm celebrating with some French Fancies, because every celebration requires these pink, yellow, and chocolate squares before it can really be called a celebration! The little creamy bit on top is the best bit isn't it?

I've been thinking about all the ways in which my blog has enhanced and influenced my life.

I love having the opportunity to write, it's not something I'd do a lot of otherwise but it's something I really enjoy. It's become a record of my life, one which wouldn't exist if writing in my diary was to be relied upon. I don't know why I can't keep on top of a daily diary, I really don't.

Blogging introduced me to social media, I didn't bother much with it before, but Twitter was a good way to find like minded bloggers. I've since stepped away from Twitter a little and now spend far too much time on Instagram instead. Connecting with people via social media is a very modern form of company, and reading someone's blog is like getting to know them better. I've grown very fond of my little circle of online friends. And those that I've met in real life have always been as lovely as their blogs suggested.

Without my blog I wouldn't read in the way that I do. I read about so many interesting sounding books that my book buying habit became a little out of control, and I needed to ramp up my reading habit to keep up! Almost all of the books I buy are the result of a book review on a blog or Instagram post.

Without my blog I don't think I'd photograph everything in the way that I do. I love having so many photographs to look back on. And while I do sometimes photograph things specifically for my blog, they're memories none-the-less.

Without my blog I never would've visited The Harry Potter Studios. My real life friends didn't seem keen to go, and it's only now that I've been, and told everyone how much fun it is, that they are interested in going along.

Without my blog I wouldn't go along to things alone. I used to blog for an online department store, and then I covered maternity leave for a full time blogger, both of these things offered me the opportunity to go to cat walk shows and blogger events. They were great to experience in themselves, but it also taught me that I could rock up somewhere on my own and the room wouldn't fall silent, with everyone turning to stare as I entered. It allowed me to go places and try things that I don't think I would've done before. When I tell my real life friends I've been somewhere they always ask 'who did you go with', they are often surprised when I say I went alone, 'you're brave' they say.

Some examples are a patchwork quilting class, a needle felting class, a beach clean up, and a 4 night trip into the Sahara. I've always been very comfortable being in my own company but the opportunities blogging gave me taught me I can 'go it alone' without fear of  any one of the number of awful things I imagined happening actually happening.

Without my blog I wouldn't have got into charity shopping. I can say without a doubt that my charity shop habit is a direct result of seeing the things other people found. Charity shop hauls are one of my favourite types of blog post. It opened up a whole new way of shopping and, I've said it before, but I'll say it again, some of my absolute favourite clothing items are pre-loved. I love the ritual of rummaging through the rails, following the same route through town to visit 'all the good ones', and then when you find something you really like, it's such a great feeling - more rewarding than in regular shops.

Without my blog I don't think I would've started and continued a capsule wardrobe. If I hadn't blogged about it, it would be easy to let it slide, but blogging makes me accountable. I like the challenge and sharing the results spurs me on.

At times my blog has been a source of therapy. I've had something on my mind, so I've written about it and the response and support has always been amazing (thank you).

Without my blog I never would've learnt about the existance of the film The Holiday. I don't know how it passed me by but now I watch it every Christmas, sometimes several times. It's become a tradition that I really look forward to each year.

And finally, without my blog I wouldn't have discovered the culinary delight that is Corkers Duck and Hoisin Sauce crisps (exclusive to Waitrose, where I seldom shop). Corkers very kindly sent me a selection of their crisps and these are a taste sensation! If I'm ever near a Waitrose I'll always pop in and buy a bag.

I could go on but you get the picture - blogging has changed and enhanced my life in ways I could never have anticipated. So that just leaves me to say thank you for returning, reading, and commenting, not to mention blogging yourselves and for being friendly and welcoming online friends.

What has blogging done for you?

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?

I turned 42 recently, but I don't feel it (how is it meant to feel?). My friends range in age and not one of them seems particularly older or younger than me. I don't know many twenty somethings, but I have teenage nephews. I imagine to them I seem pretty ancient, but I really don't feel that much older than them. Being a teenager doesn't seem that long ago. In the same way that I don't feel that much younger than my friend's in their 50s.

The only people that seem older than me are my parents, but in all likelihood that's just because they are my parents - the ones who disciplined me, and spoiled all my fun* as a child.

Now I'm in my 40s I still don't feel like a grown up, and I'm told no one ever really does, except maybe my brother who seemed to be born at the age of 30 (again this could be due to the fact that he was my older brother - by only two years - who bossed me around a lot*). But I'm a wife, a voter, a taxpayer, a homemaker, I'm self employed, I've kept pets alive for almost decade, I've been called up for jury service, and I grow vegetables and have a hankering for a shed. All signs of adulthood surely?

I own a cake slice for goodness' sake.

But I still find the word knob amusing.

I still sit on the floor cross legged (although admittedly I can't do that for very long anymore), I like love skipping, I have the urge to giggle at inopportune times, I think the best card game of all time is Snap!, I'm not above pulling faces behind someone's back if they're being irritating, I love swings (and am overjoyed if I come across a roundabout - of the playground variety - but you don't see many of these about anymore), I can still climb a tree as long as the lowest branch is low enough, Easter egg hunts still delight me, and I love dressing up. So, how can I possibly be all grown up?

Is there a test I can take?

I might not feel like a grown up but I'm glad I got to be a child when I did. (And here is where I start to do that thing that grown ups do - perhaps this is proof of my adult status?) There were no over the top health and safety regulations, no mobile phones, and school sports days had winners and losers. We had only three TV channels (I remember the launch of channel 4) none of which broadcast all night - and you had to get up off the sofa to change the channel! No internet, apps, or games to keep you in indoors glued to a screen. Of course it's all rose tinted to me now, at the time I probably thought it was all rather boring, except for the roundabouts (of the playground variety).

I spent a lot of time wanting to be a grown up (mainly for unfettered access to lipstick and high heels, and the option to go to bed when I wanted), all the while being told to 'grow up', and 'don't be a baby', but now I am allegedly an adult I have a growing desire to hold on to the essence of the girl who climbed trees, skipped a lot, and played a mean game of Snap! These days I have no problem with going to bed in the summer before it gets dark outside. I've outgrown my desire for heels, preferring the comfort of flats, and my lipstick obsession never really got off the ground. Adding another year to my age doesn't bother me, I feel neither old nor young. And I only adult when I absolutely have too.
 
*kept me safe by stopping me doing stupid things

I bought a new skirt in June and decided to try to wear it 30 times in three months. Long story short - I did.

I didn't take an outfit shot every time I wore it, some days where dull and blustery, some days I just didn't get the time, but here are some of the outfits.

It's safe to say that I adore this skirt, it's really comfy and easy to wear. I can always tell if something is going to be a wardrobe hit when I start to wear it immediately. And, c'mon, look at those pockets!

I plan to keep this in my autumn capsule. I've tried it on with boots and, as long as they have a bit of a heel, it looks fab.

What do you think? Do you like?

#onlybuyitifyouloveit #wearitagainandagain