The Buyer's Archive: February

A year ago I joined in with Elise's monthly Buyer's Archive project, recording all my spending on clothes, shoes and accessories. The idea was that by keeping a record of what I bought, I'd more easily be able to identify what were good buys and what I don't wear, therefore reducing my spending in the long-term. Well, that was the plan...

Last February, I spent £169 on ten items. Looking back on those buys, it's clear that I made some silly mistakes. A smart jacket (I literally have never worn a jacket in my life, because boobs), not one but two pink jumpers despite not liking pink, a pair of Converse which were slightly too big for me... not clever purchases. The only items from 12 months ago that get regular wear are the scalloped collar top from La Redoute, which I wear at least once a week, and a pair of slim-leg work trousers from H&M, which I wear for school. Of the rest, three things - the navy dress, the striped Boden jumper, and the Converse - have been sold on eBay, one - the grey t-shirt - has been sent to a charity shop, and the remaining items languish in my wardrobe.

So, not a good start to Buyer's Archive last year. But how did I do this February? A lot better, I reckon.

Heart print skater skirt, Primark via charity shop £2.99
This serves as a reminder to always look carefully at clothes in charity shops - this skirt is a size 12 so should be miles too small. However, I loved the print so took some time to examine it more closely and found that the stretchy waistband meant it'd fit me pretty well. I've been wearing it with a black t-shirt and mustard cardigan; it makes for a quick and comfortable work outfit on the days I'm not in school.

Black polka dot top, La Redoute £11 (with 50% discount code)
One thing I've learned through Buyer's Archive is that I love a discount; 30% of my purchases over the past year involved a discount code. Equally, it's hardly the news of the century that I like polka dots. Back in December I found a white polka dot blouse, which I love, in a charity shop so I was thrilled to see this top - basically a black version of the one I have - on the La Redoute website. It's already been worn multiple times, teamed with black skinny jeans and a cardigan, and is well on its way to becoming a wardrobe favourite.

Polka dot dress, Closet via House of Fraser £25 (not online)
I know what you're thinking, "Another blue polka dot dress Janet? Really?" But hear me out... I'm going to Cape Town next week for my cousin's wedding and, despite planning on wearing the navy blue Closet dress I bought in July for my brother's wedding, needed a second smart dress as we're having a somewhat fancy family meal the night before the actual wedding. And I also needed the second dress to be suitable for South African summer temperatures and it needed to go with the one pair of navy blue heels I'll be taking. So when I found a single size 16 polka dot dress in the sale at my local House of Fraser, and it fit like a glove, I sort of had to buy it. Right?

Striped dress, Dorothy Perkins via clothes swap £0
I wasn't sure whether to include something which was free in Buyer's Archive but hey, here it is anyway. I met up with Rebs and Bettie a couple of weeks ago to go to a plus size clothes swap in Loughborough and, although there wasn't tons of stuff in my size to choose from, I lucked out with this lovely summer dress. Stripes and navy blue? Janet heaven.

My total spend for February this year was therefore a far more manageable £38.99, enabling me to save some pennies for my trip to Cape Town, hooray!

This month, as well as Elise, Hazel, Donna and Lucy have all taken part in Buyer's Archive.

A Celebratory Weekend in Lincoln

A few weeks ago, feeling worn out and over-worked, I decided that what Thomas and I were in need of was a post-Christmas, post-PhD weekend away. And so, just a few days after Thomas aced his viva to become a Doctor, we hopped on the train to Lincoln for an overnight stay.

Lincoln was a regular destination for day trips when I was a kid but I hadn't been back in years, while Thomas had only visited very briefly, so this was a good opportunity for us both to explore the medieval lanes of the cathedral quarter and get to know the city a bit better. 

Lincoln is very much dominated by its magnificent Norman cathedral, which sits majestically atop the mound known, accurately, as Steep Hill. Entrance is free on Sundays and we were lucky to arrive just as the morning service was drawing to a close, giving us the chance to hear the cathedral choir. The cathedral itself is one of the most impressive I've visited (and yes, I'm sad enough to have visited quite a few. Apparently all those churches my dad used to drag us to visit when I was a kid have rubbed off) and the cathedral quarter is a glorious mish-mash of medieval cottages, Georgian splendour, and half-timbered Tudor buildings.

A weekend away for me and Thomas tends to be dominated by three things: the pursuit of bookshops, of cider, and of vegan food. We found the latter at Cafe Shanti, a cheerful place bedecked with batik fabric, serving vegan and vegetarian food that's both cheap and incredibly tasty (the perfect combination). For cider, we particularly liked the Wig & Mitre pub on Steep Hill, but found decent cider on tap pleasingly easy to come by in most pubs (yes, we tried a few!).

As for bookshops, Lindum Books in the cathedral quarter has a great selection of both new and used titles, while the secondhand bookshop on Steep Hill, Jews' Court Books, was great for a bargain. I also fell head over heels in love with the amazing homewares in a new shop on Steep Hill, the name of which escapes me and which I can't seem to locate on Google. Just take my word for it that it's ace! I very much wanted one of the bear print tote bags to come home with us, but totes are something I have in abundance so I left the little fella for someone else.

A Date In Nottingham

This Tuesday marked my last day off before I plunge head first into a crazy schedule of working 60+ hours a week up to Christmas (well, I do have a few days off for half term, too, but then it gets really crazy). Wanting to make the most of it, rather than just lying around reading, as I often do on my Tuesdays off, Thomas and I hopped on a train to Nottingham for the afternoon.

It took me a long time to warm to Nottingham. Living in Leicester for the past 19 years, it's been a place I've visited pretty frequently but it was only when I met Laura and she showed me some of the hidden corners of the city that I started to really love it. Now I'd happily live there: it has more of a big-city-buzz to it than Leicester (or perhaps it's just that familiarity breeds contempt?). Regardless, we had a fab afternoon of vintage shopping, book buying and pizza eating: the perfect day off.

We started our afternoon in Hopkinsons, four floors of vintage gorgeousness just next to the railway station, and somewhere that's always worth a rummage. From there, we headed to purveyors of graphic novels and comic books, Page 45, and then Five Leaves, a radical and left-wing bookshop tucked away just off Long Row, where I found a really great book on import from the USA by trans activist and writer Julia Serano.

Das Kino was the real reason for our trip to Nottingham, though. Once Thomas got wind of the fact that this East German-themed ping-pong bar (trust me, as bizarre and hipster as that sounds, it actually works) offered vegan cheese on their stonebaked pizzas, a visit was inevitable. 

Luckily, the pizza met with his approval (not pictured is my equally delicious one topped with mozzarella) and a couple of pints later, we rolled out and wandered down to Hockley for a quick browse in Rough Trade before hopping on our train home. Cool street art will always catch my eye, but I particularly liked this community garden in a handcart.

What I Bought: Ladybird Likes Goodie Bag

I've been furiously saving Ladybird Likes pieces onto my Etsy wishlist for years now. I first came across Zoe's wonderful jewellery designs when I was looking for a gift for my aunt, subsequently picked up a few goodies for myself at the Bust Craftacular last winter, before being given one of her banner necklaces for Christmas, which I wear a lot.

Zoe's had a rubbish year between one thing and another, and so to raise some cash she recently held a flash sale of goodie bags on Etsy. Having previously missed out on every flash sale she's ever held - despite setting phone reminders - I was determined not to let this chance go. Luckily, I got there just as the sale went live and snapped one up, conveniently forgetting that I'm just about the worst person ever to buy a goodie bag.

Why? Because I'm incorrigibly fussy: I like what I like and nothing else. This is why monthly subscription packages such as Birch Box or Lucky Box would be terrible for me. I don't like surprises and I have very narrow parameters for what I'll wear.

So how lucky am I that I loved a good proportion of my goodie bag!

To start with, the packaging was just amazing. Each item was tucked into an individual pouch, and the order came with some super cute postcards and a badge.

When I started opening the packages, first out was the cutest camera necklace, followed swiftly by a bird brooch. We all know how I feel about bird-print anything, so I was very happy. Next up was my favourite item: a gorgeous butterfly necklace. The colours on this are just stunning and it will be a great addition to my already huge collection of necklaces.

The only disappointment was, ironically enough, the item I'd most hoped to get. I love Ladybird Likes collar clips and had been pining over a pair of the heart-shaped ones for ages. But sadly, my collar clips came in the shape of pug dogs. I am emphatically not a dog person and so, although I know many people would love these, they're just not for me (if anyone is a dog person and would like to do a collar clip swap, hit me up in the comments. I'd like them to go to a good home!).

However, for a cost of just £25 I received well over £60 worth of items, so I'm extremely happy. At the time of writing there still seemed to be some Goodie Bags available on Etsy, so if you rush you might be able to grab one.

This is not a sponsored post. I just really love Ladybird Likes and I think independent designers and makers deserve our support.

The Buyer's Archive: September

Earlier this year Elise started a series called The Buyer's Archive as a way to track her purchases from year to year and figure out which items had been worth it, and which had already found their way to the charity bag (Donna and Steff are also now taking part in the series). As reducing my spending is always a goal, I decided to give it a go too, and this is what I've spent my cash on this month...

Seasalt raincoat £79.95 (after £10 off code)
I bought a yellow mac from M&S just before our holiday this summer but wasn't ever totally happy with the lining on it. So it developing a faulty zip was a happy accident, enabling me to return it and buy the real object of my affections: this spectacular Seasalt raincoat with (what else?) stripy lining.

Dorothy Perkins skirt £19.20 (after 20% off code applied)
I've been ordering, trying on and returning 70s-style button-front skirts for the past eight months (I only wish I was exaggerating) and hadn't found one that a) fit and b) looked ok. So I was dead chuffed to find this one in Dorothy Perkins during one of their seemingly-permanent discount offers. I've chopped the bottom off (because I'm tiny, and I prefer short skirts) and it should now be a good autumn staple with tights, chunky Mary Janes and tucked-in tops.

La Redoute top £9 (with 50% discount code)
This top was so close to being completely perfect but alas, it's just a bit too short on me (and bearing in mind I'm only 5'2", that's quite an achievement). As a result, it gives me quite a significant VBO (visible belly outline), which is one body acceptance goal I haven't reached yet. If it hadn't been a mere £9 I'd probably have returned it, and considering black dye ran into the collar the first time I washed it, I still might, but... collar!

H&M ankle boots, £24.99 

Every winter I bemoan the fact that I don't own a pair of boots and every winter, I fail to find a pair I can tolerate. I like these because they give me a much-needed couple of inches in height, while still being pretty comfortable. They'll look good with my many print dresses and if, just perhaps, I'm too old for them (I really think I might be) then sod that, I'll wear them anyway.

I'm getting to the point where I won't buy something unless I have a discount code. That, combined with some tricksy shopping mathematics (I'm deducting the £60 I was refunded by M&S from this month's total, because if I hadn't got that, I wouldn't have bought the Seasalt coat) gives me a grand total of £73.14 for September. Considering I usually go shopping crazy when the new season stuff hits the shops, that's not too bad.

A Day Out In Haworth

Growing up in Bradford, Haworth - far up on the moors, away from the travel-clogged roads and council estates of the city - was a regular destination for weekend wanderings. Famously home to the Bronte sisters, who lived in the Parsonage for most of their lives, Haworth has become a site of literary pilgrimage for book lovers worldwide.

When I visited last weekend with my mum we didn't make the pilgrimage to the Parsonage Museum (although it's well worth a trip, it being fairly mind-boggling to see the rooms in which were written some of the best novels of the 19th century, and to read about the appalling living conditions in Haworth at the time). Instead, we spent a few happy hours strolling the cobbled streets, popping in and out of independent shops, and eating a delicious lunch.

Does Beavis & Butthead laugh at 'Penistone'

Those views! Almost twenty years living away from Yorkshire, and I still miss it so; Leicestershire just doesn't have anything to compare to the majesty of the Pennines.

Haworth is home to many a brilliant independent store, from antiquarian booksellers to old-fashioned apothecaries. My find of the day was the wonderful Hawksbys, the most incredible gallery space stuffed full of ceramics, paintings, prints, stationery and jewellry. I honestly could have bought half the shop, but went home with just a print and a necklace (for now - I'm sure I'll be back again soon to pick up more treasures).