Whilst I am utterly useless at writing book reviews I wanted to share all of the books I read in 2017. The above montage is what I read each month. I read just 17 books the year before and so I made more time to read last year. I racked up 46, and read everything that was on my bookshelves at the beginning of the year.

I refilled the bookshelf by buying 53 books throughout the year, but that just gives me another challenge for the year ahead.

I've imposed a ban on book buying (excluding books needed for my reading challenge), but I find it so hard to read a book review, and not immediately want to read the book myself. I'll have to be restrained. I don't hold out much hope, but I might surprise myself!

Last year I spent £104.03 on books - mostly second hand - so perhaps I can incentivize myself? Maybe if I succeed on my book buying ban I can treat myself to something pretty, perhaps of the paperback variety in early 2019?

Anyway, the books, I'm here to talk about the books.

I accidentally fell into a habit of reading books in colour order when I read a pile of blue books in March. I carried it on from there, with the odd deviation, but it helped me to narrow down my choice of what to read next, I'm normally so indecisive (I know I'm not the only person to do this). I was able to walk up to my bookshelf and take the next book without having to give it any thought. It was a good system, despite the odd look my brother gave me when I explained it to him. And who doesn't want to spend some time organising their to-be-read books into a pleasing rainbow on their bookshelves?

If I had to pick a favourite of them all it would be the Sylvia Jorrin books, I particularly enjoyed the first one, so if you're going to hold me to picking one favourite Sylvia's Farm would be it. With The Improbable Shepherd being a very close runner up.

I loved Sylvia Jorrin's writing style, and the way she talked about farming really resonated with me. Not that I'm a farmer, but when you live in close quarters with one, you get to understand the lifestyle. Because it is a lifestyle, it's not a job, it's not something you can walk away from at 5pm, switch off from at weekends, and take two weeks holiday away from each summer.

But more than that I loved the way she lived, how she organised her time, how she strived, each day, to make small improvements towards a larger plan. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know I'll read them again.

I also enjoyed the Rosie books by Graeme Simsion - funny, sweet and insightful, A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart - heartbreaking and heartwarming, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Brown - interesting, informative and thought provoking, made me want to visit Guernsey, The J.M. Barrie Ladies' Swimming Society by Barbara J. Zitwer - heartwarming, feel good, made me want to try wild swimming, and call all my best friends, The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher - sweet and funny, and Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian - heartbreaking, tear jerking, heart warming, and feel good.

To make time for reading, I read for a little while first thing in the morning which is something I've never done before. I'd take note of how many pages the book had and worked out roughly how many pages I needed to read each day in order to read a book a week. It didn't always work but it was fun to keep track and see my-books-I've-read pile start to grow. I also tried to read in the time after I finished work for the day and before Andy arrived home. I used to just switch on the TV but I get a lot more from reading than watching yet another repeat of the Big Bang Theroy or The Goldbergs.

I used to think that I read more in the winter but it's actually the warmer months when I get through the most books, I love being outside with a book, or if it's a little chilly I sit in my greenhouse to keep warm.

So this year I have a bit of a challenge ahead, I need to read even more than last year. I have 54 in my to-read pile, which is everything I purchased last year, plus some books I have been given as gifts. And I need to get my hands on 7 books to be able to complete my reading challenge for this year - a challenge within a challenge, that's not like me (yes it is). Which means I have to read 61 books. Yikes, for me that really is a challenge.

The question is, what the hell am I doing sitting here writing this when clearly I should be reading!

It's that time of year when I look back and conjure up some percentages relating to this year's clothing purchases. In a previous post I shared every item I purchased in 2017, this is the annual breakdown.

Overall I spent £663.03, which is over my £600 budget but it's still eighty quid less than last year, and my lowest spend since I started a tally in 2012. I'm chalking this up as a success, especially when I think about the fact I spent £1,250.86 in 2015, and £1751.00 in 2012!

How many items did I buy?
83 items in total - 40 new and 43 pre-loved. This is my third highest number of purchases, but because I purchased more pre-loved items it's my lowest spend.

What percentage of items purchased were pre-loved?
For the first time I purchased more pre-loved than new - 52%

What percentage of items purchased are still owned?
85% which is the same as last year - the highest since records began.

Total of discarded items
£88.14 - this figure makes me all the more determined to sell the items I'll never wear, perhaps I can make a good chunk of this back?

What percentage of items purchased remain unworn?
19% - this seems a little high but some of the items in this are maternity bits that I didn't get to wear, and some are new purchases that just haven't been worn yet, but most definitely will.


What was the most expensive item?
My green skirt at £25.60, was the most expensive, and definitely my most worn item. I was really surprised by this, this seems like such a small amount, last year my most expensive item was £95.00, followed by a cardigan at £40.00.


What was most expensive pre-loved item?
My bargain £24.99 burgundy boots! This might be my most expensive pre-loved item but it's still a bargain price for leather boots in really good condition.

What was the cheapest of both categories?
New flip flops for 90p, that I wore all summer long, and 99p for a pre-loved maxi skirt from ebay.

I buy a lot of pre-loved items but discard quite a high number of them. This is because I got out of habit of trying things on in charity shops, and made too many ebay purchases that I had no option of returning, so I'm stuck with items that don't fit or I don't like. You don't get this problem with a new purchase, but it won't put me off buying pre-loved.


What were my clothes related resolutions for 2017?

For 2017 I wanted my spending to be lower than 2016, which it was.

I wanted to wear items purchased in 2016 that I hadn't worn.
This had some success. I had eight items on the 'Unworn' list. One item was donated, one still needs altering, three items were added to capsules and worn a number of times, and three items still need to be worn (or donated / sold). Although one of these items is a dress that makes me smile so I'm pretty sure that even if I don't wear it, it'll remain in my wardrobe. I will wear it, one day. Probably.

Have another ban on buying PJs.
I didn't buy any PJ bottoms but I did have the need for a few new vest tops. I bought three and put some old ones, that I'd had for years, in the rag bag.

I need to alter items in a more timely manner
I have altered / mended a few things during 2017, but there are still way too many items needing my attention. I've put 'Mend' on my winter to-do list. Although I'm doubtful that it'll have the desired effect.

Sell the things I no longer want, or that don't fit.
I didn't sell a single thing. I always say I'm going to sell things but it all ends up in a pile in the spare room and gets forgotten.


My 2018 Resolutions (at the risk of sounding like a broken record)

Reduce the number of clothes I buy overall
Buy more pre-loved clothes than new
Reduce my overall spend again, I'll try for £600 and see if I can make it this year!
Alter / mend all items that need it
Sell all the things that don't fit or I no longer wear. Anything not sold by the summer will be donated to charity.
Reduce the percentage that I buy and then donate / sell / pass on.

I think that having a seasonal capsule wardrobe and taking part in A Buyer's Archive has made me more aware of the amount I spend, and what kind of clothes I like to wear. Over the years I've stopped buying things that I like but don't fit in my wardrobe. If I can't think of three ways to wear something I don't buy it.

Now, if I can just break those other annoying habits...

Do you keep a tally of your spending?

Links to previous years - 2012   |  2013  |  2014  |  2015  |  2016

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.

This weekend the plan was to plant our small Christmas tree in the wood. We chose a nice spot and popped it in the ground. Sadly it didn't have much of a root ball, so it might not survive but it's got two choices.

Andy then chopped some wood, which I loaded into the truck, while we chatted away, enjoying being outside. I love spending our time in the wood, I really hope our little tree survives.


A lesser plan was to go to the supermarket, get rid of the glass recycling, and pick up some flowers for the lounge. With all the decorations taken down and packed away for another year, it looked so bare. I was able to use some greenery from a bouquet Andy bought for me just before Christmas (why does the greenery always last so much longer), and I filled two vases with vibrant yellow roses and purple carnations. They're no substitute for a 7ft Christmas tree but they do look cheerful.

I definitely didn't get that wasted weekend feeling on Sunday evening. The whole weekend I pottered about, getting lots of household chores done, returning the house to normality after Christmas, ticking things off my to-do list. I wrote our meal plan for the week, flipping through recipe books for a new dish to try - Brazilian Style Fish Stew - and placed a grocery order. I spent a lovely hour in the greenhouse sorting out some hanging baskets and container pots. I helped Andy cook roast pheasant with all the trimmings - because we haven't eaten enough recently! And I found time to sit and read for a while, and do some work. We also made a hefty dent in The Soprano's boxset.

How was your weekend?

Once again my capsule started out looking very different to how it ended. I swapped a number of maternity items for normal clothes, and swapped a few other items, adding some new colourful purchases made in November and early December.

My green skirt got a lot of wear in the autumn. Mild weather in early October allowed me to stick with bare legs for a few weeks, before layers and boots took over.
And I love how it worked with layers. It's by far my favourite purchase of 2017, and worth every penny of it's rather reasonable £25.60 price tag.


The addition of colour really cheered me up. I've hardly stopped wearing the new items since they arrived - a sign of a good purchase I think.



The original capsule had 36 items.


The final edit had just 30, but it was more than enough to see me through.

The green skirt remains in my winter capsule, along with a lot of the items purchased recently, and a leather jacket I found hanging in the cupboard under the stairs that I'd completely forgotten about. I love how discovering an old favourite, and a few new items can rejuvenate your wardrobe. I feel like I've got so many new outfit combinations, I particularly love my new pink jumper worn with my old khaki mini skirt.

I've found wearing colour to be a fabulous antidote to the January blues. I hope 2018 is treating you well so far.
x

Here's every item of clothing, and accessories I purchased in 2017. It looks like a lot doesn't it? And I'm surprised to say I bought more this year than last, even though I spent less.

I haven't yet stopped buying items in charity shops without trying them on, and I've made a few ebay purchases that didn't fit, and couldn't be returned, so I still have a number of items that haven't been worn, and won't ever be. But they hang around in my wardrobe because I say I'm going to get them all on listed ebay, but it doesn't happen. This seems to be a recurring theme in these round up posts. Some habits die hard.

I did occasionally make an impulse purchase, but these are at a minimum now, when I buy something I always ask myself if it fits in with my current capsule wardrobe, if the answer is 'no', it doesn't get purchased. If I don't think I'll wear something 30 times, it doesn't get purchased. Luckily the items that I felt I simply 'had to have' (the green skirt, the California tee, the burgundy boots, the stripy jumper) fitted my capsule with ease.

I'd say that there is a pretty even split between things being worn a lot, things been worn occasionally, and things that have never being worn and are destined for ebay. Only three items have been donated so far. The rest will be donated when I get fed up of looking at the pile and realise that I'll never get them listed.

The question is - am I happy with my purchases? I am, yes. I bought some things that weren't right, for whatever reason, but for the most part I feel I bought some lovely items. Things that I feel I'll wear again and again.

For 2018, I'm wondering if I can I manage a spending ban every other month? Would this just make me spend more during the 'can spend' months? January, BTW, is already can-spend month!

You can see my all my monthly Buyer's Archive posts here.

Happy New Year!

I'm starting 2018 with feelings of hope and positivity. I've decided that this year will be a good one. So many people I care about had a tough time in 2017, so I've decided that this year will be better, for everyone. No arguments.

With this in mind I'm setting out some goals for the year. The first, and most important, being to spend more time with my favourite people. To enjoy the little things, and do things that make me smile.

Spending more time with my absolute favourite is a must and I've decided that we should visit Guernsey. After reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I've had a hankering to explore the island (it's a lovely book if you fancy a read). We can go by ferry, Andy love boats and being on the water, and I think we'll really enjoy the island.

I thought it would be a good idea to put some of my Day Zero goals on this list, it'll help me to tick things off, and as I want to get on with the flippin' decorating I decided to add any goal that included home improvement. Sorting stuff out and getting organised puts a smile on my face, so they're not as boring as they might appear.

Anything crossed out is completed, but there is plenty here to keep me occupied.

002. Put all posters / pictures / paintings I have into frames and get them on the walls!
003. Buy / make shelves for the kitchen, kitchen cupboard, bedroom, and bathroom
005. Finish decorating the entrance hall
006. Decorate our bedroom in a gorgeous deep bluey green - I've already purchased the paint.
007. Decorate the downstairs toilet
008. Buy a printers tray, hang it on a wall and fill it with mementos
009. Spruce up the front door
010. Kondo the kitchen
011. Kondo the pantry
012. Kondo the cupboard under the stairs
013. Sand and repaint the side entrance door
021. See a psychic (booked for Jan 16th)
038. Read a book every month with that month in the title. I'm starting with The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith
060. Photograph the same landscape across 12 months and make it into a calendar
085. Visit seven restaurants in seven days - either for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, or maybe just dessert?
086. Read a book set in my hometown. The book I've chosen is 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson. My friend used to live on this road, so I know it well.
098. Host afternoon tea
099. Eat battered pizza, followed by battered Mars bar. Just once.

And to add something I don't want to do - no book purchases (with the exception of those needed for my reading challenge). I've got more than enough to see me through the year.

It's my hope that these things will make the most of my weekends. For the most part my weekends seem to drift by, I don't tend to make specific plans. Sometimes it's nice to have absolutely nothing to do, but I occasionally get to Sunday evening and feel the weekend has been wasted on nothing but housework, or other such non events.

Each weekend I want to have a plan to do or achieve at least one thing. It doesn't have to be a huge adventure, and sometimes it might turn out to be a plan to just put my feet up and read. But, no matter what, by the time each Friday rolls around I want to know at least one thing the weekend will bring.

At the end of 2018 I hope to have many lovely memories of times spent with my nearest and dearest, much less on my home improvement list, and fewer books waiting to be read.

What do you hope 2018 will bring?