For the third year running I'm taking part in A Buyer's Archive inspired by Elise (who has stopped blogging but can be found on Instagram instead), to keep track of my spending on clothes and accessories.

THIS YEAR

Bras. Altogether these cost £50.00, which seems like an awful lot of money for three such tiny garments. I purchased my first triangle bra with back fastening at around this time last year and I've been looking out for more since then. This style are normally of the pull on over your head variety, but I don't get on with those at all. So I looked for ones with a back fastening. I found them. I bought in bulk. And fought back thoughts of all the much more exciting things I could be doing with fifty quid.

Leather shoulder bag  |  £7.50  |  pre-loved
This filled a hole in my bags. I have very small bags and large shoulder bags but not much in the middle. This is enough to carry all my junk without room for adding yet more junk.

Tote bag  |  £5.75  |  pre-loved
I was thinking of sunny beach days when I purchased this, then the weather turned cooler and any chance of a day spent on a beach in the sun disappeared. So I used it when I went shopping with Mum instead. And I can confirm that it comfortably holds 14 balls of wool.

Red shirt  |  £2.00 in the sale  |  pre-loved
I saw this and thought I didn't need anymore shirts but I went back the next day and bought it anyway.

Jeans  |   £66.15  |  La Redoute
A new purchase. I ordered these from La Redoute and although they're different to how I thought they'd be, I really like them. It's very unusual for me to find a pair I like so easily, normally the search takes a while. I'm very grateful I found these. As an added bonus had 37% off. I never would've paid £105 for them, and even though £66.15 is a lot to spend, jeans are the one thing that I know I will wear until they fall apart. One of my pairs of jeans keeps trying to fall apart but I won't let them, I just keep patching them up. I can't remember when I bought them but I think it was before I met Andy, I paid £45 so they don't owe me a penny, and yet I'm still not prepared to be parted from them just yet.

Yellow jumper  |  £23.00 using a £5 discount code  |  ASOS
Despite believing that I couldn't wear yellow, this actually looks alright, I think, maybe? I'm still not totally convinced, but I'm drawn to yellow at the moment, last year it was green. I wonder what next year's colour will be?

Blue shirt  |  pre-loved   |  £4.75  |  originally from Topshop
This is one of those items I always keep an eye out for. A light blue shirt is so versatile, and this one is a nice thickness and will come in handy over the coming seasons.

LAST YEAR

I made two new purchases - wardrobe staples. At £16.00 each these jumpers weren't expensive, and both get worn regularly. The navy one has earned it's #30Wears badge, and they grey is half way there having been worn 15 times.

The White Stuff shirt with embroidered hearts was found in a charity shop 'Everything-a-Pound' sale. It's really soft and I was looking forward to wearing it, but the size label was creased and what I thought was a size 8 was actually an 18. It's sitting in the to-be-put-on-ebay pile.


Total for September £159.15

Total so far for 2018: £406.56

Total at this time last year: £427.88

Left of £600.00 budget: £193.44

This is my biggest spend of the year by far, but with three months remaining of 2018 I have nearly £200 left of my £600 budget. I'm hopeful I won't go over again. I'd love a new (or new to me) winter coat, and a pair of leather boots but we'll see...

What have you been buying recently?

I've been working for myself for five years now. Over the last few years the work has settled to a slow pace meaning that I work approximately two days a week. And for months I felt embarrassed by this. I wasn't concerned by the lack of work. I wasn't looking or hoping for more work, and yet I would make excuses, 'it's usually quiet at this time of year' I'd hear myself say if anyone asked if work was busy.

But recently I realised that I didn't want to take part in the game of Let's See Who's the Busiest anymore. I'm not interested in working all the hours of the day, and rushing from A to B without a moment's rest in between. I'd equated being busy with being successful, with living a full life.

And then I realised that was utter crap.

I decided to stop being embarrassed about working part time, and decided to figure out what success really meant to me.

I know that I am very fortunate not to have to work full time. But it's not just about work, it's about all the things we choose to do in life.

And that's the important bit. We have a choice.

I often hear people talking about how very busy they are, they seem to wear it like a badge of honour. I call it The Glorification of Busy. But what's so great about being rushed off your feet all day, everyday? Are you achieving more? Are you happier if you've never got a spare minute?

I know I wasn't.

Now when someone asks if work is busy I say no. I tell them I'm only working about two days a week. They often look blank. Or assume I'm worried and ask about what self promotion I'm doing. When I tell them I'm not concerned I get more blank looks. It's like they're asking me 'what do you do with all your time then?'

I rarely sit around doing nothing. I have lots of plans, lots on my to-do list. Working part time isn't the same as having nothing to do.

I'm able to take my time over work or anything else I do. The pace of life is slower and it's wonderful. I literally have time to 'wake up and smell the roses'.

I don't have to rush. I have the time to plan, to be fully prepared, I have the time to be spontaneous. I have the time to start a task and finish it. I have the time to spend with family and friends. I have the time to try new things, to look after myself. 'Me time', the holy grail for some, but for me it's essential, it's self care. If you don't look after yourself, you have little left with which to look after others.

I can spend time on things that are important to me. I can spend a day with my family at a moment's notice. I have time to keep the house clean and tidy, and I have time prepare meals from scratch. I have time to do yoga every morning. When I sat down and asked myself what was important to me, what made me happy, these things were at the top of the list.

Nurturing relationships, improving my surroundings, and taking care of my husband and myself are the things that bring me the most happiness. Everything else comes after that including work, success, money, and material possessions.

Time is precious, it goes by so fast that I don't want to waste it by being too busy to enjoy it. We never know how much time we've got. So I work part time and spend the rest of my time doing the things that help to create a happy and calm existence, and that's not something I'm prepared to be embarrassed about.

What would you change (or what have you changed) in your life to have a little more time? What are the things in life that bring you the most joy?

 The first Saturday in August I was feeling distinctly off, but I couldn't put my finger on what exactly the matter was. My plan had been to do some small DIY jobs that have been on the to-do list for an age, but my heart just wasn't in it. Instead I visited my local charity shop, which is always guaranteed to cheer me up. I came home with a few books, a mug, and a gorgeous mustard coloured bag. Later in the day, when it had cooled a little, I sat outside reading with a cat on either side.

On the Sunday my mood hadn't improved much. It was hot, I was restless, and couldn't settle on what to do. I read, and knitted an alien. By the end of the day I was feeling better.


The following weekend I was feeling really tired and lacking in energy. Cursing the fact that this was the second weekend in a row that I felt under par I spent the day pottering, making pom pom wreaths, and watched Xanadu on DVD.


On the Sunday I visited my Mum and her husband. They were looking after Rosebud whilst her owners were on holiday. She was adorable and we made friends instantly. Although it's hard to drink a cup of tea with a waggy dog on your lap.

The following weekend was photo an hour.


For the final weekend I spent the Saturday with Andy's sister. She was visiting with her husband and three children and we had a chilled day making pom poms. We'd got together a few days earlier to teach the children how to make them and made enough to create a pom pom wreath for Rara (aka Grandma). It turned out really well, and was enough to get my sister-in-law and nephew completely hooked! So another day of making pom poms was requested and I was more than happy to oblige. We made enough to make a wreath for an aunt for Christmas.

On the Sunday we all went to an aunt and uncle's for a BBQ. Uncle worked for most of his life as a chef, he's retired now but this was the most amazing BBQ I've ever seen. We had sausages and burgers, but also chicken in two different marinades, prawn skewers, lamb, steak, and pork belly... and then there was the sampling of his extensive wine cellar. I got to meet their three gorgeous cats too.

But the very best part of the day was that Andy and his Dad took the afternoon off to join us. There had been just enough rain to stop work, down tools, and spend the afternoon relaxing. Ordinarily when rain stops play they spend the time servicing or repairing machinery, so for them both to take the afternoon off in August is very rare. It's the first time Andy has had any time off since the middle of June. It was a really lovely afternoon. We returned home in the early evening with full bellies and just chilled for the rest of the evening.


...................

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. August, much like July, seems to have been largely dominated by the making of pom pom wreaths, but it's also been a good month for spending time with family. My older nephews got their GCSE and A Level results and both of them did really well. Nephew no.1 starts an engineering apprenticeship in September. I can't wrap my head around how he can possibly be a fully fledged grown up already. Nephew no.2 has started a weekend job and is working all the hours he can to buy himself a pair of trainers for £120!! He's just started his A Levels. And I had my 43rd Birthday.

For my summer capsule wardrobe I decided to have a monthly edit, instead of keeping it the same for the entire season. It's been really nice to swap it around a little.

I put this together during the last week of August and even though I've worn shorts this month already it does seem a little daft to have three pairs in this capsule. As I sit here and type the world outside is grey and chilly!
This month I removed nine items and added four new ones. I need to mend my green skirt as the zip now only goes 2/3rds of the way up, and the red floral skirt needs the hem repaired. It's frayed quite badly. It seems that 90% of the mending I do is to repair frayed seams, it's maddening. (Since starting to write this the hem on my green dress has frayed too!!).

I've still got plenty of summer clothes in this capsule, we did have a few lovely sunny days at the beginning of the month, but it has turned cooler. If the sunny weather is over (although I hold out hope for a few more sunny days), I know that I have plenty of cooler weather options should I need them (see below). The great thing about midi and maxi skirts and dresses is that you can add tights if it's really cold, but if it's just a little on the chilly side they offer enough coverage for warmth.


I've already started looking at my autumn capsule, I know that I need another pair of jeans and another jumper so I'm on the look out. I'll be spoilt for choice on the jumper front but I'm not looking forward to the hunt for jeans!

Andy gave me this dress for my birthday and I wore it the next day to lunch with friends. I love it, it's comfy and so nice to wear. Did you notice the pom pom necklace?

August did have it's share of dull days, but when the sun did shine I relished pulling on a pair of shorts or slipping into a dress from my August capsule. I was able to mix new (to me) purchases with things that have been in my wardrobe for a good few years, I always love finding new outfits combinations. And as you can see my recently purchased yellow bag got it's fair share of usage.


I'm already looking forward to the return of summer next year...

The 18th was #PhotoAnHour day in August. I took part, posting most of my day on Instagram.

8am Late to bed, late to rise. After a late night watching Much Ado About Nothing at the Theatre in the Forest, I needed a big coffee, even if it was only decaf.


9am Tried out a solid hair conditioner from Lush for the first time. I keep it (and my solid shampoo) wrapped in @beeswaxwraps_uk reusable wraps. I didn't like it at first, but it seems to be getting easier with each use. It's very different from liquid conditioners so took some getting used to, but I think I'm going to stick with it. I might have to do a weekly olive oil hair mask as well but it saves on plastic packaging.


10am And the cleaning began. The kitchen got a thorough spring clean (in the summer).


11am Tea break, or more accurately, a jasmine green tea break.  


12pm When shuffle knocks you sideways with THE song that is guaranteed to make you cry. Every. Single. Time. Listen to it here, it's beautiful.


1pm Lunch. Omelette with smoked salmon, spring onion, pepper, feta and chives. 


2pm Going for a ride with Andy. He was working in a field within walking distance of home, so I hitched a ride. It's the most time I'd spent (awake) with Andy all week.


3pm Being dropped off as close to home as you can get in this. Andy was off to a field further away, so I headed to the sofa for knitting and a film.


4pm Sewing up and together, my least favourite part of knitting.


5pm In the company of cats. I have a feeling that Socks had a touch of lap envy.


6pm I gave up on the sewing up and knitted ears instead. Two pairs, because ...


7pm ... I can never have just one knitting project on the go at any one time. I have a monkey without arms, a dog without limbs or ears, and several pieces of what will, one day, be a rabbit. None of these projects have progressed any further because I've started knitting an alien.


8pm The one nice thing about Andy working late is that I can go to bed early with a book. I got to read for an hour before Andy came home and dropped into bed.      

Thanks to Jane and Louisa for hosting.