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

When I looked at the items in my capsule wardrobe in mid November, I felt truly uninspired. Once I'd removed all the maternity clothes from the capsule I was left with my usual colour palette of predominantly navy, grey, and beige and it left me feeling flat. I wanted colour, and lots of it! So I indulged in some online shopping and I bought all the colours of the rainbow. It cheered me up to wear some colour, and I needed my spirits lifted. Clothes can be more than just garments to keep us covered and warm.


I was over the moon with my first purchase of the month - burgundy knee high boots, £24.99, pre-loved from ebay, originally from Topshop. I just adore them.

An ASOS order saw a pink jumper (£20.80 in the sale), and a colourful stripy jumper (£25.00) added to my wardrobe.

A small trip around the charity shops in Felixstowe mid month had me heading home with a not very colourful, but gorgeously soft grey and white scarf for £3.75.

A quick charity shop rummage in Ipswich offered up a gorgeous green Zara jumper (£3.99), and a grey pleated M&S midi skirt (£3.25).

I picked up a tapestry skirt for £9.00, and a statement necklace for £7.00, in a few Instagram sales. And whilst doing a few last bits of last minute Christmas shopping I came home with a pair of burgundy tights (£3.00), to wear with my new boots, and another scarf (£18.00) for myself.

But it doesn't end there!

An ebay search offered up a black mini skirt, won for £4.20, that matched the one I had in my mind's eye when I wrote my shopping list at the beginning of the year. I also bought a light blue pre loved Topshop midi skirt that took my fancy, I had some Nectar vouchers to use so this ended costing me just £3.00. I'm still waiting for this to arrive...

That's a lot of clothes shopping for one month, certainly more than I anticipated. But when you crave colour and have none what are you to do?


LAST YEAR

I made just two purchases in December '16. Two shirts, one ex-stock and one pre-loved, and both have been worn a number of times, and will continue to be worn.


The short sleeved shirt was £12.80 from ebay and the other was from Rachel the Hat in one of her Instagram sales for £9.00. Both excellent purchases I think.


Total for December: £125.98

Overall total for 2017: £663.03

Total at this time last year:  £742.39

Obviously my spending this month takes me over my budget of £600, but I am still under my total of last year, so I'm taking it as a win anyway.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! I hope 2018 brings love, fun, and positivity (and lots of gorgeous charity shop finds).
xx

I wanted lots of colour to see me through the cold months of the year, however this didn't stop me from adding two navy jumpers, and a couple of beige items to this capsule. A girl's gotta have some staples, right?

This time around I've got fewer items than I normally have. Having looked back over all my other capsules I realised I always had a number of items that either didn't get worn or were only worn a few times. My very first capsule had 37 times, I'm now down to 30 and I'm confident that this is plenty.

This year I'm going to keep a tally of how often I wear everything in my capsule. I've become interested in this since finding out about the #30Wears campaign. The idea is we can save a lot from landfill, and reduce the demand for new items of clothing if we just wear our clothes for a little longer.

I have no idea how often I wear things, do I ever wear items more than 30 times? And if so, which items? How long does it take to wear something 30 times? I think it'll be interesting to find out.

Hello! Did you have a good Christmas? It's that odd time between Christmas and New Year. I don't know what day it is. I'm not even sure of the date. But I do know I've had a lovely few days. Today I'm relaxing, pottering and pondering.

I created my Instagram Best Nine today and though I'd share the story behind each photo.

The cross stitch I created for our second (cotton) anniversary was obviously popular.

I shared it in April, just after our anniversary and again recently for Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day prompt of 'Family', and both made it into my Best Nine! I loved creating this, and obviously the cats had to be included.


My snowman was for another Photo A Day prompt this time is was Rosalyn's #AdventToShare. As luck would have it it snowed that day, it didn't last, but was thick enough for me to create this little chap.


I made a snowman kit by treading wire through buttons for the eyes and, erm, buttons, so I could poke them into the snow. It worked a treat.


Day 3 of #AdventToShare was to watch a Christmas film, who was I to argue? I love The Holiday and watch it a few times each year anyway...


The centre picture made me laugh. I was sitting on my sofa reading and felt myself being watched. I looked up to see these two staring at me, obviously it was time to be fed! Tink looks like she was contemplating something evil if I didn't comply.


This next photo was taken back in May, Socks had had two teeth out that week and followed me around for a few days. I love that little face and kiss his head way more than he likes. I hated having to leave him at the vets, they hate being in the carrier and being in the car. He cried all the way, and I almost cried when I walked back to the car. The house feels wrong when one or both of them aren't here.


I'm glad to see my wedding dress making an appearance. I put it on to greet Andy when he came home on our anniversary. I haven't put it on in a while... today might be the day :)


The skirt pic was taken during a photo an hour day in July, I'd nipped into Next and discovered a skirt I'd tried on at full price in the sale, from £65 to £25 I had to have it. So far I've only worn it once - dinner with friends - but it will be worn again. It has pockets!


And finally, this was day 2 of #AdventToShare - my wreath from last year. I didn't make one this year, we didn't manage to find the time to get out and gather holly, but I have all the other gubbins I need to make one next year.

And just for fun, here's my 2016 Best Nine, lovely to see my wedding dress in the mix again.

Oh my goodness, what a week!

I always leave things to the last minute and end up rushing around like a crazy person with to-do lists coming out of my ears. I enjoy the chaos but have found it somewhat tiring this year. Still, it nearly all done.
This week has been quite sociable. It started with lunch at the Lavenham Swan with Andy, a belated anniversary meal, back the the scene of the crime. It was absolutely lovely. The smell of the place as we walk in the door takes us right back to our wedding day. I feel like this is our hotel, it's such a special place.

I had a G&T before eating, forgetting that I hadn't had time for breakfast. I was rather giggly by the time my food arrived - which didn't help productivity that afternoon. But it was a welcome distraction and so lovely to spend time with Andy, and the food was delicious, as always. Although, being a traditional sort of fellow, Andy really didn't know what to make of the beetroot ice cream that was served with his chocolate mousse :)


I nipped to Felixstowe with Mum to collect the pottery I'd painted from Crafty Coffee. Again I hadn't had time for breakfast and was hoping for a cheese scone (they are so good) but they didn't have any, so we walked to the other end of the high street to our favourite wool shop / cafe, The Wool Baa, and had one there. It's worth a visit if you're ever in Felixstowe, The Wool Baa is lovely, especially if you're a fan of wool. If you're there on Monday evening or Thursday morning they have 'Knit and Natter' so you can take your knitting and get sociable.

I enjoyed lunch with some of my best friends at The Cookhouse Restaurant at The Suffolk Food Hall. I ate too much (fish and chips and a chocolate and salted caramel sundae), and was then served fish and chips by my Dad for supper. I was so full I had trouble driving home!

I had a haircut - just a trim, coffee with my sister in law, wrapped some presents, gave up on the idea of writing Christmas cards, braved some last minute shopping (but I've realised I need to do a little more), put marizpan on the cake (and some in my stomach), started to clean the house ready for guests on Christmas Eve, attacked the laundry so I don't have to do any next week, and I managed some work in between all of this.

Yesterday Andy came home with a second Christmas tree so that needs decorating, I need to ice the cake, make a Malteser Cheesecake, finish a website design, finish the housework, find the big table cloth, stop Andy from eating all the snacks purchased for our guests, and remember where I put the gin.

And tomorrow we're celebrating our youngest nephew's birthday with go karting and pizza.

I do enjoy Christmas, but I'm looking forward to Boxing Day when I can put my feet up. In the days that follow we'll do as we please, we'll make it up as we go along, which sounds pretty perfect to me.

I hope you all have a lovely, lovely Christmas, however you choose to celebrate.

xx

I can not believe it's nearly Christmas, I really don't know where the time has gone. Some of the things on this list seem like I did them eons ago, and yet I ran out of time to do them all. Still, it's been a lovely season in many ways. Winter maybe upon us but that means spring isn't far away and soon we'll have a whole brand new year in which to marvel at how quickly it is passing.

Here's how I got on with my autumn things-to-do list

Make fat balls for the birds and keep them coming throughout autumn and winter
Making these was messy and rather satisfying. I found a super simple recipe (some seemed necessarily complicated) and got stuck in. I made enough to fill my feeders twice over and have enough ingredients to continue making them well into the new year.

Watch a scary movie on Halloween
I didn't watch a movie but I did start to watch series 6 of The Walking Dead. I don't find this scary as such, however I can't watch it when it's dark outside.

Watch under 16s football from the sidelines (so much better than watching the overpaid 'professionals')
One of my nephews plays, and my brother is team manager. I enjoy watching a game or two and can be found shouting things like 'Go on Wanderers!' or 'Ref, are you blind?!!!!' whenever I grace the sidelines. This is rather uncharacteristic as I detest professional football.

Knit!
I got my sticks out and decided to make some toys, I knitted a lion (Leo) and a monkey (Moo). The monkey has been made several times before. He's really easy to knit, and so is perfect for my limited skills.

Spend Black Friday making handmade gifts
Rolling two goals into one, I was knitting on Black Friday. Leo and Moo are going to a good home in March when a friend's brother's baby boy arrives.

Make your own chai latte
I've long wanted to make my own, but all the different ingredients meant I was always missing one ingredient or another. I found a really simple cheat recipe and ordered myself some teapigs chai tea temples and a milk whisk and I was all set. Accompanied by a mince pie, it was pretty perfect. If you make it, please just remember to put the whisk in the milk and then turn it on. I didn't do that and splatter myself with milk, oh no (I did).

Paint pottery
I daubed a large bauble and a cute Father Christmas face at Crafty Coffee in Felixstowe - a lovely little place if you're ever in the area. And if you don't fancy painting anything, and they're not busy, they don't mind you just having a coffee and munching on a (delicious) cheese scone.

Go on a charity shop search for warm woollens
I did go on a good romp around the charity shops but found only one jumper, a lovely emerald green fine knit, originally from Zara. I'd say it's more of a summer knit but I'm not afraid of a bit of layering. I also found a lovely scarf - super soft and super huge!

Eat a Cadbury's Ghoost Egg, or a box of Mr Kipling's Fiendish Fancies, or both
Both, and some Mr Kipling Toffee Terror Whirls that had been reduced the day after Halloween :)

Get cosy and read
Over Autumn I read much less than I intended. I only read three books and given that I've read 45 books this year, it doesn't seem like much. My favourite of these books was A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart. I read a review over on t*rexes and tiaras in October last year, it came highly recommended so I put it on my to-read list. As luck would have it I found it in a charity shop in the summer and it didn't disappoint!

And the goals that life got in the way of  - prepare a crumble using foraged fruits and serve with piping hot custard, enjoy a homemade soup for lunch with fresh crusty granary rolls, needle felt some acorns, light a bonfire and roast marshmallows, plant spring flowering bulbs, turn off the TV and do a jigsaw puzzle (we got waaaaay to into watching box sets for this).

Maybe I'll get to do all of these things next year instead?

And so on to winter, what are your favourite winter pursuits?

1. Read 12 books
I did a lot of reading in 2017, but I also purchased a lot of books, mostly from charity shops, and yet I still managed to spend £104.03 on books over the course of the year. So once again I want to read as much as possible, not just over winter, but throughout the year. I'm on a book buying ban (except for books needed for my reading challenge) until everything on my shelves has been read. I have 46 books on my shelves, so I know it's achievable.

I find winter the best time to get cosy and get lost in a book. You can light the fire, make a huge cup of tea, grab a blanket, and a cat, and happily stay that way for a few hours. Bliss.

2. Plan my greenhouse growings
I want to grow a few veg more veg this year, and want to improve on my soft fruit - this year's efforts were pitiful, although lettuce leaves were in plentiful supply! I just need a plan...

3. Try a new restaurant
Because there are so many new restaurants locally, some that have been around a while that I just haven't visited yet. I might even see if I can tempt some friends along...

4. Mend
I still have a number of items that need altering or mending - an afternoon spent working my way through this pile would be an afternoon well spent, and give me a few more options for my capsule wardrobe.

5. Donate to a food bank
I always say I'm going to but so often forget. I think doing it after Christmas might be a good idea. I have a feeling donations go down after the festive period.

6. Veggie meals
Try 3 veggie recipes. I started well with this in early 2017 but it did fall a bit by the wayside by the end of the year. I did however find one recipe that's become a regular in my meal plan - Hummus Paste, it's delicious and so easy to make. A few more recipes like this one would be most welcome.

7. Put all posters / pictures / paintings I have into frames and get them on the walls!
This is on my Day Zero list. Winter seems like a good time to do such a thing.

8. Get into the woods
We have some woodland here on the farm and last year we cleared some fallen trees and had a bonfire, we took a picnic and it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Whether we do this or simply take a walk through the trees I don't mind, it's just good to get out into nature.

9. Go to the beach
There is something uplifting about being beside the sea, no matter what time of year it is. The breeze may be bracing but it's delightfully crowd free and what better time to scoff some hot salty chips with a mug of sweet tea?

10. Turn off the TV and do a jigsaw puzzle / play a board game
As much as I like mentally switching off and losing myself in a good programme or boxset, I think it's important to step away from the telly box once in a while to interact with those around you.

What do you do with your time over winter?

I've set myself a little reading challenge for 2018 as part of my Day Zero Project. I want to read a book each month with the name of that month in the title, and I'm in need of your recommendations.

I have four books sorted already.

The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith is on it's way to me via Father Christmas (aka my Dad, he has a white beard, so ...)

I found March by Geraldine Brooks in a charity shop earlier this year. This has a good review from Karen Joy Fowler, author of one of my favourite books The Jane Austen Book Club, so I have high hopes for this.

For August I have The Courtyard in August by Janette Griffiths. This has no reviews on Amazon and three stars on Goodreads, but again no reviews, so I'm not sure what to expect from this one. It sounds interesting.

Lastly, I saw on Instagram that Sophie had a book called December in her TBR pile and asked if I could borrow it. What did you think of it Sophie?

Do you have any month-in-the-title book recommendations (even if I they cover the months I already have)?

I'm looking forward to hunting for books in charity shops, I'd love to get as many as I can second hand.

Thank you!

Last year I compiled a shopping list of things that I felt were missing from my wardrobe, I posted the list in early February. Having remembered I'd done so, I was interested to see how many things I'd ticked off.

In no particular order the items were;

Slouchy jeans
I found a pair in a charity shop in August, they're pre loved Oasis jeans and I picked them up for a bargain £2.00. They're not exactly what I had in mind but they are lovely, very comfy, and I wear them a lot.

Black knee boots
I put this to the back of my mind until recently, I've ordered a few pairs, only to return them. I've got an ill-fitting pair I won't be keeping from ebay, but I have another pair on my ebay watch list that I'm hopeful about. And I feel I should mention the burgundy boots I found, just because they're so pretty!

Ankle boots
I saw many I liked but in the end I didn't feel the need to purchase any, the boots I have sufficed.

Bright jumper
I wanted pink, and this one (pictured above) was perfect. It's a recent purchase but one I think will be worn a lot.

White shirt
I wanted a semi fitted shirt in a soft fabric with a rounded hem. I kept my eyes open in charity shops but I didn't find one.

Basic white t-shirt
A white version of the black t-shirt I purchased last summer would've been perfect. I should've bought it when I posted the list because they still sold them then, but not anymore. What I like about it is that it has a rounded hem, which is not something that I've seen any where else.

Black jacket / Statement jacket / Grey jacket
No to all.

Floaty floral skirt
I didn't buy a floral skirt but I did buy a green skirt that I adore!

Black mini skirt
My original post said - Not tiny mini, mid thigh mini to wear in the cooler months, probably a tweedy or textured fabric - and it just so happens I currently have one on my ebay watch list.

Floaty maxi or midi dress
I did buy a maxi dress but I didn't wear it in the end. I bought it in February and by the time the nice weather came around I'd gone off it. It hangs in my wardrobe waiting to be put on ebay.

Smart trousers 
I've seen a pair I like...

Of course I bought a lot more besides but I think I did OK ticking things off the list, I still keep an eye open for the remaining items when I'm out on a charity shop rummage. One day these things will appear, they always do eventually.

This week has been good. It started with a visit from the bereavement midwife. I was ridiculously nervous about meeting her but I needn't have been. She was really lovely, and told me about the support I could receive from the hospital, we talked about my experience, and she answered a few questions I had. It's not until you go through something like this that you realise how common it is, that you're not alone, and that there is a lot of help available should you want it.

We talked of how quality time spent with your partner is essential, so I went to work with Andy again one morning. We did a lot of driving around and it was the perfect time to just chat and be together. Once we'd done all of his chores I persuaded him to take me to my favourite florist to buy wreath making supplies. Now we just need to pick some holly, which we'll do together.

Early in the week I spent a day with my Mum. We'd planned a morning at Crafty Coffee in Felixstowe, eating scones and painting pottery. I had my heart set on painting a large bauble in lots of bright colours for our tree. But our plans were thwarted when we arrived and found that it was closed.

Not to be discouraged, we wandered the shops instead. We both did some Christmas shopping (thankfully Felixstowe is blissfully free of crowds), and we ended up in a lovely cafe - £3.00 for a pot of tea and an Earl Grey tea, how good is that? And you can park all day for £2.00. It has some pretty good charity shops too, it's fast becoming one of my favourite places. Oh, and of course there is the beach and the sea to enjoy. And fish 'n' chips, ice cream and candyfloss.


We decided to return to Crafty Coffee a few days later. It's a lovely way to bookend the week, I painted a bauble and a Santa Claus and I'm so looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

The rest of the week was spent doing a little work, making plans for my hanging baskets and container pots (I know I'm a bit late in doing this but I haven't felt up to it until now). I've been taking apart in two Instagram prompts #adventtoshare, organised by Rosalyn Oxer, and #fmspad, organised by Fat Mum Slim. Both have made me feel rather festive and have given me a small, positive daily focus. And I've been strutting around the house in my new-to-me boots, I do love a good ebay win!

As for how I'm feeling, my surgery was a month ago and physically I feel good, a little tired at times but other than that I've made a good recovery. Emotionally though I know there is a lot to come. I'm usually a crier, so many things start me off - simple things, silly things, and every thing in between. But I've hardly cried at all, I still feel like it happened to someone else. I have moments of sadness, I think about it several times a day, and I can talk about what happened but I can't put into words how I feel about it, because I still feel numb. I know it will take time, that grief will come in many forms, and won't ever go away completely, but I wish it would hurry up. It feels wrong to feel so normal.

On a happier note, we're getting our Christmas tree this weekend, and we're going to my Mum's for a roast lamb lunch - my Mum's husband used to be a chef and his meals are always divine and plentiful. And I'm hoping to catch up with my two best friends soon too. There's plenty to look forward to.

What exciting plans do you have for the coming week?

Being the only bidder on an ebay item you've been watching for days feels pretty good.

I won these burgundy knee high boots for £24.99, and then kept everything crossed that they would fit and be comfortable. And they do, and they are!

They're in really good condition with minimal wear, originally from Topshop. They arrived this morning, and, in true Hazel fashion, I spared no time in getting them on my body. I bought them to wear with my green skirt, and I will, but today I'm wearing them with a midi dress I was given for my birthday, because I think they look fab with this too.


The heel is covered in suede which is a bit daft if you ask me - it's not very practical is it? - but isn't the shape of the heel lovely? I know these are going to be worn a lot.

Have you had any good ebay wins recently?

It's been a quiet week, I've been slowly returning to work, doing a few hours a day. I've spent some time at work with Andy (nothing strenuous, just keeping him company whilst he drives around checking on things). We've worked our way though a huge portion of the Game of Thrones boxset, and I've finally started preparing for the festive season.

One of the pieces of advice I've received over the past few weeks has been to remind myself of the things I'm grateful for. It's something I should do all year round, but now seems like a good time to start.

I'm grateful for being treated to a mini manicure. A bit of pampering can never be a bad thing. Me time, self care - whatever you want to call it - it's so important to take the time to do something for yourself, particularly when you need some cheering up. Neat shiny nails make me smile.

I'm grateful for online shopping so I don't have to face the hoards of shoppers in town. I love Not On The High Street for independent retailers, and I will pop out to my favourite independent stores soon, but the bulk of my shopping has already been done, and it feels great.

I'm very grateful to have the luxury of time. After what's happened most people would be expected to return to work after two weeks. It seems too soon to me, grief doesn't have a time frame. As I've regained strength after surgery I've been able to spend a few hours a day at my desk without feeling pressured, it's been immensely helpful to feel some normality returning.

I'm grateful for my clients, who have been patient and very understanding (and two of them sent me huge amounts of chocolate).

I'm grateful for the messages and support I've received from my friends. It's hard to know what to say in situations such as these, but I'm so grateful people haven't shied away from getting in touch. Their messages have really helped, as have all the comments from you.

How has your week been? Tell me about your favourite part of your week.

xx