For the third year running I'm taking part in A Buyer's Archive inspired by Elise, to keep track of my spending on clothes and accessories.

THIS YEAR

All of this month's purchases are pre-loved.
Floral ra-ra dress £6.00, originally from Oasis. There is something about a ra-ra dress that delights me - perhaps because I loved them so much in the 80s? I like a blue floral pattern too, so when I spied this dress poking out on the dress rail I knew if it was my size, I'd be taking it home with me.

Mink maxi skirt £3.50. Can't resist a maxi, and as they stay in my wardrobe year after year I don't feel bad about adding another on to my collection. It's deliciously soft and the rolled waistband makes it incredibly comfortable.

Pink v neck top £3.25, originally from Next. I have this in black and love it, the shape is really flattering, it needs minimal ironing, and fits into my wardrobe nicely.

White shirt £3.25 originally from Primark. This is only classic white shirt in my wardrobe, 100% cotton and very soft.

LAST YEAR

The yellow shorts (£3.70 from ebay) weren't worn last year but they've been added to my Summer Capsule (post to come soon), and I know exactly how I'm going to wear them.

Denim shorts (£1.99 from ebay, originally M&S) have been worn numerous times - I'm wearing them as I type - I like the longer length and they tend to come out for days pottering at home.

The Monsoon gypsy top (£3.70 from ebay) caught my eye. I thought it would be cotton but it's jersey so it hasn't seen the light of day since then.

My epic green ASOS skirt (£25.60 with 20% discount) was my only new purchase of June last year. Regular readers will know that it's been worn a lot.

I purchased this Hobbs gingham top for £17.17 from ebay. I really wanted it but when it arrived it didn't fit well. I thought about altering it but it was beyond my limited skills. It's in a pile waiting to be listed on ebay...

The floral print wrap top (£3.50 from ebay) feels awkward to wear so it won't be staying in my wardrobe either.

My final purchases were a floral shirt dress (£4.49 charity shop), and a pre-loved French Connection skirt (£3.00). Both have been worn only once, so I've put them in the Summer Capsule too. It's the perfect weather for pretty bright florals!


Total for June £16.00

Total so far for 2018: £224.22

Total at this time last year: £332.10

Left of £600.00 budget: £375.78

I always seem to buy a lot of clothes in the warmer months, which is probably the wrong way to do it as we get more bad weather than good. I just feel more inclined to make an effort in the warmer months, you don't have to worry about layers and coats, dressing feels effortless.

I'm consistently spending less each month than last year which is pleasing, and I've purchased more pre-loved than new this year, score currently stands at 14 new items vs 20 pre-loved.

What have you been buying this month?

Look out for the #buyersarchive hashtag to see others taking part. 

Here's how, I hope, I'll be spending my summer...

1. Eating
I want to eat in a restaurant every day for seven days, be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

2. Camping
I have a day ticket for Latitude again this year, and I'll be camping at a local campsite on the Friday and Saturday night.

3. Going Coastal
Spend a day at the beach, I'm talking 9 to 5 - ice cream, fish n chips, a morning stroll on the promenade, and an afternoon nap on the beach.

4. Hosting
Afternoon tea for friends. I have the enthusiasm and a cake stand, what more do I need?

5. Reading
I want to read 12 books, hopefully more over the summer months.

6. Decorating
The bedroom has been at the planning stage for about two years now...

7. Exploring
I want to give Geocaching a go, there are a few sites locally that I'm going to seek out first.

8. Attending
Visit the local Flower Show, the one I've said I'm going to visit each and every year since we moved here seven years ago.

9. Concocting
Make lemonade from scratch.

10. Utilising
Get a book from the Library, I joined last year and have yet to take out a book.

What are your plans for the summer months? Is there something you look forward to doing every year?

OK, so can I just say how can summer be here already?! Spring has been lovely, but it's over all too soon. I'm enjoying compiling my list of things to do over the coming season, but first here's how I got on with my spring things.

1. Make
I ordered two skirt patterns, and thanks to signing up to the Simplicity newsletter, I got a 25% discount on my order. One pattern is very similar to my red floral skirt which has proven itself to be a favorite of my current capsule, the other is a full midi skirt with the option of pockets. Now I just need to find the material, which is something I'll buy in person rather than from the internet. I want to see and feel the material before purchasing.


2. See the bluebells
Done! I don't think I'll ever tire of wandering through this beautiful carpet of blue.


3. Hit the beach
Andy and I went to Lowestoft for the day. I've mentioned this before in one of my Weekend posts, but I'll say again how lovely it was. It was completely unexpected and turned out to be great fun, despite slightly grey weather.

4. DIY
I failed. I spent most of my spare time in the garden, pottering, mowing grass, weeding, you know the stuff. But I do have a plan (and a list) to get lots of DIY jobs done when harvest starts and I have all my evenings, without Andy, to fill. But then you've heard that before...

5. Mend
The first thing was to mend a frayed collar on a top I'd already mended once, it had frayed in a different place, and since washing it it's frayed again. I seem to spend more time mending frayed seams than any thing else. It's so annoying. Then I shortened the sleeves on a dress, took in the seams on a top, and mended the hem on a pair of shorts. There are still plenty of items waiting for my attention, but this is good enough for now.

6. Make pasta from scratch
Nope.


7. Read 12 Books
Done. I've read some great books this season, it'd be hard to pick a favourite. Sometimes after I read a really good book I don't come across another one I enjoy as much for ages, so this has been a real treat!

8. Get stuck into embroidery
Kit purchased. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into this but I've decided to save it, to fill a few of the afore mentioned solo evenings ahead (see, I'm already I'm shirking the DIY!).


9. Have Afternoon Tea
On a beautifully sunny Thursday afternoon my Mum and I headed out to Seckford Hall and spent a rather pleasant few hours drinking endless cups of tea, and nibbling on delicious treats, all in beautiful surroundings. Can I just take a moment to talk about warm Scotch eggs? I say yes, Andy disagrees. It was my first taste of a warm Scotch egg with a deliciously runny centre and I much preferred it.

10. Host Afternoon Tea
Fully armed with inspiration from Seckford Hall, I was keen to get one in the diary, but I am a little hampered by the fact that I've temporarily lost the use of my dining room (the table and chairs are pushed up against the wall to make room for our old sofas, until they can be disposed of). So I'll just have to wait. And plan.

Spring has been pretty good. How was yours?

The 16th was Photo An Hour day this month. I took part, and as always (she says not having taken part last month) I posted throughout the day on Instagram.

6am 
7am
It was breakfast time for our weekend guest, Tommy. Tea had been consumed, the kettle was on for cuppa no.2. And the washing was machine on, plants in the greenhouse had been watered, and it was my turn for breakfast - weetabix!

8am
More tea, this time Pukka Turmeric Gold and a second breakfast - strawberries from my garden.

9am
The day was filled with chores and errands. Washing was on the line, the dishwasher emptied. I was showered and ready, and off to the Post Office ...

10am
On my way back from the Post Office I might've tripped and fallen head first into my local charity shop. I bought the wool because it’s pretty and will knit up into a few cute toys, the book because my best friend loved it and she has excellent reading taste, the DVDs for when Andy disappears into harvest, and shorts because, sunshine!

11am
Yes, there were chores to be done but I was so close to the end of my book! The greenhouse is a great place to read and drink tea (Twinings Bakewell Green Tea). I finished it, it was really good - the book not the tea, although the tea is good too!

12pm
What was left of my early lunch. Already consumed - cheese salad sandwich, dried apricots, dairy free peach yogurt.


I missed a few hours running errands and popping in to see family. I had to drop off a folding table to my brother for a carboot the following day, and had to stay for a cuppa. I also stopped by to see my Mum, she's just got back from a Safari and I was never going to get away swiftly, even though my first words were 'I can't stay long'.

I had to go grocery shopping and return something to Next. The order collection point has been moved to the children's department and as I stood there surrounded by small people and rail after rail of baby clothes, I went hot and I had a sudden urge to flee. It was suddenly the last place on earth I wanted to be. Deep breaths and concentrating on my to-do list got me through, as soon as I was outside I felt better. The effects of losing a baby can blindside you at times, creeping up and walloping you in the gut when you least expect it. I've been in the children's department recently and I was fine, I don't know why this time was so different. The shop assistant who went to get my parcel agreed that I could wait in the women's department, she'd come and find me, I think she could sense my discomfort, and I was grateful for this small act of kindness.

In the car I turned the radio up and sung along loudly (and badly) to Jess Glynn's 'I'll Be There'. Never under estimate the uplifting power of music.

5pm
Came home to realise I hadn’t seen Tinker-the-girl-cat all day. After a frantic search in all her usual snoozing places, I found her under the duvet in the spare room, very warm and sleepy. She got a thorough cuddling.

6pm
I was being helpful, going backwards when told. The bucket was full of stones to fill the holes in our driveway, Andy did all the hard work with a shovel. If I hadn't backed into the laurel hedge the next day I'd have said that I was becoming quite a proficient loader driver.


7pm
I was stuck under Tinker, so I couldn't escape the football. I sort of watched it, but I couldn't tell you now who was playing or what the score was...


8pm
Still under The Girl Cat. Football was on again, not much playing going on though, just chatter. Shortly after a game commenced, I was on my way to bed before the national anthems had finished.

9pm
Bed and new book for my reading challenge. June for the month of June. It’s a hardback, I don’t like hardbacks, but I’ll persevere... I bought it second hand via Amazon and I thought it was a paperback. I was kinda annoyed when it arrived and even considered buying it again in paperback, but I decided that was just plain stupid. Now I'm a few chapters in I've forgotten that it's a hardback and so far it's an engaging read.

Thanks to Jane and Louisa for hosting. How was your weekend?

The first weekend in May was lovely and sunny. My plan for this weekend was to help my Dad replace all the old broken panes of glass in my greenhouse. He did most of the hard work, I tidied up and washed the glass inside and out, and provided sustenance - lots of cool drinks and scrambled egg on toast. It was a hot day, and not one that you'd really want to spend in a greenhouse but it was so satisfying to get this fixed. I love my greenhouse and I'm slowly turning into my own little sanctuary.

The May Day Bank Holiday was our day to see the bluebells. We had a lovely walk through the wood, and we stopped to say hello to the Naughty Cows on our way home.

We call them the Naughty Cows because last year they made a bid for freedom and managed to close the dual carriageway for several hours, whilst they were being rounded up.


The second weekend Andy had a couple of hours free on the Sunday and we took a trip to Lowestoft. It's been years since I was last there. The weather wasn't the best but it meant it wasn't crowded and it was mild enough for a good long walk on the beach. We walked to the end of the pier, had a fish n chip lunch, and we started a game of Name the Dog Breed, at which neither of us are any good at! But it did give me an idea for a birthday present for him, he's notoriously difficult to buy for, as are all the men in my family.  I gave him, among other things, Dog Top Trumps in the hope that it'll improve our dog identification skills. It's also fun, who doesn't enjoy a game of Top Trumps once in a while?


The following weekend was A Photo An Hour weekend but I didn't check my phone until late afternoon (which is most unlike me), so I missed it. I was up early to run some errands but was left with most of the day to myself, feeling restless and in need of a distraction, I decided on a whim to go to the Hadleigh Show. It was another warm day, and it was lovely to wander about, seeing cows, sheep, vintage tractors, chickens, floral displays, and do a little shopping. I didn't buy much at all but I brought home a Ferrero Rocher brownie for Andy. He was kind enough to share and it was delicious!

The last weekend of the month was my favourite, it was another bank holiday weekend, and a hot and sunny one too! On Sunday Andy had some free time, he had work to do first thing in the morning, and again early evening but the rest of the day was ours. We visited the Helmingham Hall Plant Sale, where our game of Name the Dog Breed continued, and I made friends with a gorgeous Chocolate Lab called Treacle. We saw an Old English Sheep dog but Andy said I wasn't allowed to stick my face into his fur, as was my want.


On our way home we decided to go to Stonham Barns, to the Owl Sanctuary, to see the new(ish) Meerkat enclosure (which is of course exactly where you would expect to find a meerkat enclosure!!). They were fascinating to watch, and very cute.

The Bank Holiday Monday was spent mostly with family, and it was lovely to get to spend so much time with Andy. This is the time of year that is generally the quietest on the work front, and with harvest looming, we try to spend as much time together as possible. This year has been busier than usual, with lots going on and the weather not being ideal, I was worried we wouldn't get much time.

We spent the day with Andy's family, played cricket in the blistering heat, watched the kids have a water fight, that they, thankfully, left us out of, played Hide and Seek, drank Pimms, and had supper together. I provided dessert - Banoffee Mess which is a mix between Banoffee Pie and Eton Mess. It's delicious and super easy to make. I found the recipe on Pinterest.

So that was May. On to June, the sixth month of the year, can you believe it?

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It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening. May has been a great month for getting out and about.