The Buyer's Archive: May

Compared to previous months, I did well in May. Although the total spent - £111 plus €17 - seems high, that's entirely thanks to the insanely expensive tankini (big boob problems: cheap high street swimming costumes are a no-go). However, the dress from New Look was paid for with a credit note, bringing my actual cash spend down to £79 & €17. I love that everything I bought this month goes together; throw in a pair of shoes and a cardigan, and it's the perfect capsule holiday wardrobe, with a rockabilly tinge.

Polka dot tankini, Bravissimo £64
I didn't actually need a new swimming costume  - I already have a functional tankini plus a fancier set that I've worn precisely never, which will now go onto eBay - but look at how cute this is! Clearly it belonged in my life. The red polka dot and gingham print is super cute and looks ace next to the floral sleeve tattoo on my arm. Now I really want to go on a beach holiday so I can show this off.

Navy blue polka dot dress, Apricot via New Look £32
I'd just been thinking I needed a new navy polka dot dress in my life when I stumbled upon this in New Look. The structured fabric means it's smart enough for work and, as I had a credit note to spend, I decided to treat myself.

Red gingham dress, Sainsburys £15 (with 25% off - not online)
I popped into Sainsburys last Friday to pick up some tights, loo roll and a loaf of bread, and came out with this insanely adorable dress as well. Isn't it very Lindy Bop? At £15 I couldn't resist, even though it's far too long for me and I think taking up a circle skirt might be beyond my capabilities as a seamstress.

Navy blue polka dot dress, C&A €14
Ok, so perhaps I didn't need two blue polka dot dresses in the same month, but for that price it had to come home with me! This second dress is subtly different to the Apricot one - lighter fabric, so more casual (this will be a Janet dress rather than a Ms Brown one), with more of a sleeve (I prefer to have my shoulders covered), and a full skirt perfect for twirling.

I Like Big Books And I Cannot Lie tote bag, bookshop in the Netherlands €3
Because I do, and I can't.

I Didn't Blog Every Day In May....

Original image source here

... but that's ok. I knew I wouldn't. In fact, I also knew I didn't want to: my stress levels have been high lately, and adding in the pressure to blog wasn't going to help. So why did I give it a go, when I knew I'd - and even planned to - fail?

I've always enjoyed previous Blog Every Day In... challenges and, after a period of feeling like I was just barely keeping the blog ticking over, I knew that having an external motivation to write would be helpful in giving me back some of my blogging mojo. I knew, too, that although there was no need to stick to the planned topics (and in fact, I think I only managed to do so on nine of the seventeen days I blogged), they'd be useful in terms of inspiration.

And so it turned out. Although this #BEDM I've felt less of a sense of community as previously - down to the fact I just didn't have the time to reach out to other bloggers via commenting and Twitter as in previous years - it has still been a positive experience.

Liz published a great piece today about what she's learnt from taking part in #BEDM and I'd back up her assertions wholeheartedly. For me, though, what's most important about taking part in blogging challenges such as this one is accepting that sometimes I won't complete them. I have a busy job and a life crammed full of interests and activities: I can't be the perfect blogger, putting out great content 7 days a week. And that's ok.

May Reads

1. Seth dies, heartbroken, dashed against the rocks off the coast of Oregon. And then he wakes up, and he's not in Oregon. Instead, he's somewhere vaguely familiar... I'm one of the few readers who wasn't taken by Patrick Ness's award-winning Chaos Walking trilogy, but attracted by the amazing cover of More Than This I decided to give his new novel ago. It's a fantastic mix of dystopian science fiction, mystery and teen romance, and well worth a read.

2. Neil Gaiman's first collection of short stories, Smoke & Mirrors, is a great favourite of mine so I was very much looking forward to his new collection, Trigger Warning. But although some of the stories captured my attention - the short but viscerally creepy tale of a man babysitting his girlfriend's little brother deserves particular mention - I found Gaiman largely going over old ground here. I'd maybe have enjoyed it more if I'd taken the stories one at a time, rather than ploughing through one after the other.

3. Apple Tree Yard is so good, posing all sorts of questions about the relationships between men and women and whether revenge is ever an excuse for terrible acts. Scientist Yvonne Carmichael has reached a comfortable middle age, happily married and successful in her career. However, a chance encounter at the Houses of Parliament will change her life. I can't say much more but I'd love to hear from you if you've read it - what did you think of the twist and the subsequent actions taken?

4. It's 1978, Jess is thirteen, and finding it tough being the daughter of the only Communist in Tamworth. Motherland** follows Jess and her mother, Eleanor, as they spend their summers in East Berlin on education courses, and try to bring the Communist message to their unreceptive neighbours in the West Midlands. Quietly amusing and somewhat reminiscent of Jonathan Coe's Midlands-based novels.

5. Wreathed in good reviews comparing it to I Capture The Castle and the novels of Nancy Mitford, I had high hopes for The Lost Art Of Keeping Secrets***. Alas, my hopes were dashed: I found this novel a bit dull and utterly lacking the sparkle, quick wit and - above all - fantastic characterisation of ....Castle or The Pursuit Of Love. The title implies some intrigue around secrets, which I found sorely lacking, and I couldn't bring myself to care about the exploits of heroine Penelope nor her family living in their grand but decaying country house.

6. When lawyer Thora is employed by the parents of a man who has disappeared - together with his wife and twin daughters - from a luxury yacht, mystery piles upon mystery. The Silence Of The Sea effectively combines Thora's investigations with flashback chapters about what happened on the yacht, and the slightly supernatural elements work well. I found the solution a bit rushed at the end but, as always with Sigurdardottir's novels, enjoyed the insight into Icelandic society that the narrative provides.

7. I really liked Seth and Quinn, the main characters in 89 Walls*, and my sympathy with them made up for the fact that there are so many issues and topics crammed into a relatively short novel. As a result, important events seem to spring up out of nowhere, with little build-up or tension. The author has a lot to say about American politics, diplomacy and international relations (within the context of the end of the Cold War), and it's to her credit that this was actually pretty fascinating. I was particularly intrigued to read about the Republican Party before it got highjacked by fundamentalist Christians (with Quinn's father being both a card-carrying Republican and vehemently pro-choice, for example). I do feel the novel would have benefited from either a pruning of the issues tackled or expanding the narrative more so said issues could have been properly explored.

8. The Rise & Fall Of A Theatre Geek* was a sadly sub-standard YA romp following high school student and self-confesed theatre geek Justin as he completes an internship in New York City and dreams of Broadway stardom. I was drawn to this by the gay protagonist, and liked how this element was just one part of his character rather than being the whole issue of the novel, but unfortunately I otherwise found it all a bit silly and immature. Perhaps some YA novels are best read by their target audience only.

9. It took me about half of Say Goodbye*** to realise that I'd actually read it before, but luckily I'd forgotten a lot of the important twists and turns so still enjoyed it. Creepy and disturbing as hell, this is one of Gardner's FBI novels featuring Kimberly Quincy. Here, she's becomes dragged into an investigation into the disappearance of several sex workers from Atlanta: how are their possible murders linked to the shooting of a high school football star?

10. 11. & 12.
I was feeling quite run-down and tired by the end of the month, so ended up doing quite a bit of re-reading of comforting and easy reads: Adorkable, which I reviewed here, The List, which I talked about here, and Dancing In My Nuddy Pants, one of the extremely silly but extremely funny Georgia Nicolson series.

* These books were kindly provided for review by the publishers via Netgalley, but all opinions are entirely my own.
** This book was kindly provided for review by the Curtis Brown Book Group.
*** These books were sent to me by Alex as part of Char's Blogger Book Swap - thanks Alex!

Note: I do not use affiliate links in these posts, I just like to provide a non-Amazon source.

Photo An Hour: May 23rd

7.30am
Up insanely early for a Saturday, but I was awake so *shrugs*. I decided to emulate Rebecca's sleepy selfie from last photo-an-hour. I have to admit that I cheated and brushed my fringe first, but the under-eye bags and blotchy cheeks make up for that.

8.30am
Listening to 6Music while the kettle boiled. I danced around the kitchen to the new De La Soul & Nas track followed by Feist's 1,2,3,4, which I just love.

9.30am
When Thomas and I began planning our wedding there was no proposal and no ring, but I did begin occasionally wearing my granny's engagement ring, which my mum gave me after my gran died in 2013. It's a stunning ring, although I still don't wear it all the time as I'm so scared of damaging or losing it (ridiculous really: my granny managed to keep it safe for 60+ years so I'm sure I can manage it too). Anyway, as I was going wedding dress shopping I decided to put it on for good luck.

10.30am
The trip to the wedding dress shop was only meant to be a fun half term outing for me and my friends Emma and Leanne. But then I went and fell in love with a dress, oh dear. It's not at all what I'd imagined myself wearing, so it'll need some thought. The fact it's still in budget despite being a 'proper' wedding dress is rather encouraging (and no, it's not the tulle monstrosity in this picture, although I did also try that on for a laugh).

11.30am
Shopping for craft supplies in The Works. One can never have too many ribbons.

12.30pm
Vintage fair fun at the Grand Hotel in Leicester. Lou Lou's Vintage Fair is reliably excellent, but although we ooh-ed over lots of lovely things, and I even tried a few bits on, we went away empty handed.

1.30pm
A cheeky Nando's* for lunch.
* Sorry

2.30pm
Record shopping in Rockaboom, although again I went away empty handed as the new Joanna Gruesome album wasn't in yet (I was very tempted to buy the new Sufjan Stevens on vinyl, even though I already own the CD, but managed to resist)

3.30pm
Home at last. This is my favourite time of year in my garden: the alliums are blooming, the bluebells are out, and the whole garden (well, the tiny raised bed in my mostly paved backyard) looks abundant and beautiful.

4.30pm
A cup of tea while I catch up with blog comments.

5.30pm:
The choice was either clean the bathroom or read the new issue of Bust magazine. No contest really (although I did then go and clean the bathroom too).

6.30pm:
Eek, just realised that I've got no Eurovision snacks in the house, so a last-minute dash to the corner shop to stock up is in order.

7.30pm:
Annie often blogs about her amazing illustrated to-pack lists when she goes away, so I gave it a go for my up-coming trip to the Netherlands this week. Hmm, turns out I'm no artist, but I did find it surprisingly useful to visualise my clothes and how they work together when planning what to take.

8.30pm:
Eurovision! I had so much fun, despite (or perhaps because of) being on my own with only Twitter and a heroic amount of takeaway pizza, cider and snacks.

9.30pm:
I really, really needed a toilet break from Eurovision and stopped off to cut some fabric en route to the bathroom: I'm nothing if not a multi-tasker.

10.30pm:
Reading in bed while I wait for the Eurovision results. Urgh, still so unhappy about the results (Serbia should have won it, and who was voting for homophobic Russia?!)

Thanks as always to Louisa and Jane for organising this, it's always fun!

What's In My Bag?

Rather than sharing what's in my bag I wanted to talk about my genius new essentials pouch.

I have three bags that I use on rotation depending on my outfit and how much extra stuff (books, camera, etc) I need to cart around on any given day, and transferring all my essentials from one to the other was a complete pain in the arse. With two chronic medical conditions, the last thing I need is to go out for the day and later find that my vital medication is in the bag I left at home.

And so my essentials pouch was created. I use a small canvas pouch from Alphabet Bags, which is the perfect size to fit all my pills and potions without taking up too much space in my bag. Into it goes...

1. Medication & first aid

Between chronic IBS, flare-ups of jaw pain and migraine, and hayfever and a cat allergy, the amount of tablets I may need on any given day is slightly ridiculous. Chucking them all in the pouch means I'm never caught short (provided I top them up regularly). Add in a plaster or two in case of blisters, and I'm all set.

2. Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm in Pomegranate

This stuff is the absolute shit when it comes to dry and chapped lips, I have at least ten tubes of it stashed around the house.

3. Sunscreen

Always useful but even more so since I got my tattoo. I use factor 50 to protect it from fading in the sun, and in the summer I also carry a factor 30 tube for the rest of my exposed skin.

4. Handcream

I have horribly dry hands, so these tiny Cath Kidston handcreams (which come in packs of three) are perfect to pop into a small bag or pouch.

5. Earbuds
I am, at heart, a total misanthropist, so god forbid I forget my earbuds and have to walk around or sit on public transport without blocking out the noise of the world.

6. Random stuff
A spare tampon, a couple of hair grips, a breath mint or chewing gum... there's always a few bits of random but extremely useful stuff swimming around the bottom of the pouch.

Having everything together in one pouch means I can just grab my purse, mobile phone and the pouch and I'm good to go, instead of laboriously transferring stuff from one bag to another (or trying to keep all three bags topped up with essential supplies). I wouldn't be without it now. Is there anything else you think I'm missing from my essentials pouch?

On Books And Reading

Ah, how I love a good reading tag! I found this one on Viva Tramp months and months ago, and am only just now getting round to finishing it. Rather than tag anyone specific, feel free to use the questions yourself - I'd love to read everyone's answers.

Do you have a certain place at home for reading? 

I have places plural rather than one single reading spot: the huge, squishy armchair in our bedroom; on the sofa in the book-lined front room (this one's strictly for the summer: that room is bloody freezing!); on the sofa next to the woodburning stove in the living room; propped up in bed with mounds of pillows and snuggled under the duvet.

Where do you like to read?
I really, really love reading in the pub, either alone or with a companion. One of my greatest pleasures in life is a quiet pub with a pint of Aspalls cider, a packet of Piper's cheese crisps and a good novel in front of me.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?
Random piece of paper usually (or - I know, I'm sorry - turning the page down), although I'm trying to be better at using proper bookmarks.

Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter?
It depends on the book but generally I like to stop at the end of a chapter, otherwise it's just weird. I make an exception for crime novels, which usually have a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter meaning it's all too easy to think, "Just one more chapter..." and then wake up at 5am with the lights still on and a book stuck to my cheek.

Do you eat or drink while reading?
See above! The only thing better than a good book is a good book accompanied with something to sip and something to nibble.

E-reader or real book?
My preference will always be for a physical book, however my Kindle is pretty much essential kit for travelling now. I also find that some of the bargain downloads are too good to resist, so I do occasionally use it at home too.

Music or TV while reading?
Music, yes (but quietly, and it needs to be something I know very well so as not to get distracted). TV, not a chance.

One book at a time or several at once?
Usually just one at a time, although if I'm reading non-fiction I'll often have a novel on the go at the same time, for the evenings when a heavy literary biography or a feminist theorist just seem like too much to digest.

Reading at home or everywhere?
Anywhere and everywhere. Pubs, my desk at work, buses, planes, trains and automobiles.

Reading aloud or silently in your head?
I don't even like reading aloud at school, and it's pretty much part of the job description for an English teacher, so I'm not going to do it at home too.

Fiction or non-fiction?

I absolutely love good non-fiction, but it requires a level of concentration that the trashy crime novels I devour in term-time do not. I reckon I read about 10 fiction books for every non-fiction (and my TBR pile of non-fiction bears this out: it's about 5 times the size of the fiction pile), which is not a ratio I'm happy about.

Do you read ahead or skip pages?
Very rarely do I read ahead, and only if I'm reading a particularly tense or scary bit, or a book with characters I care deeply about. I don't really do tension - in real life but especially not in books or TV & film - so if I'm feeling anxious about an outcome, I'll sometimes sneak a peek.

Break the spine or keep it like new?
Absolutely I break the spine. A book's to be read, not kept pristine like a museum exhibit.

Do you write in your books?
Not since I was a very intense and serious teenager scribbling notes in the margins of - what else? - The Catcher In The Rye.

Favourite book?

Completely impossible to narrow down! Err, a few off the top of my head... Generation X, I Capture The Castle, The Secret History, Wolf Hall, Persuasion, All Points North, The Song Of Achilles, The Handmaid's Tale, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Prep, Longbourn, anything by feminist author Laurie Penny. The answer to this is constantly in flux, with new books being added (and, occasionally, a re-read of an old favourite showing how my tastes have changed).

Finding My Style

An edited version of my Pinterest Spring/Summer Style board, where you can also find all the links & sources for these images

The title of this post is perhaps a tad misleading: I've always had a very defined sense of style - generally involving dresses, cardigans, collars, polka dots, stripes, and lots and lots of navy blue - so it's not that I needed to find a new style so much as I've recently wanted to be sure that said style was at least vaguely age-appropriate.

I turn 37 in June, which I am quite frankly terrified about. 40 comes ever closer and I don't understand how it crept up on me so damn fast (I swear I was just 22 a couple of years ago). Now the very human fact of ageing itself doesn't bother me too much; most of my fears are related to lifestyle and, particularly, fashion. Questions plague my mind, like can I still get away with dressing almost exclusively in H&M's Divided range? Should I really be wearing the same coat that every Year 9 girl at school also seems to own? Or is it time to give up the fashion ghost and start wearing stylish separates from White Stuff and Boden?

Now, considering I still get ID'd on a semi-regular basis, I'm relatively confident that dressing 'too young' isn't an issue for me yet. However, as much as I think it's important to wear what I damn well want, I have to agree with the fashion maxim that if you remember something from the first time round, you probably shouldn't be wearing it the second. With my usual shopping haunts such as Topshop and H&M crammed with 90s-inspired grunge fashions for the past year, this has been a hard lesson to learn. As much as I'm drawn to the little floral dresses and Docs look, I just can't bring myself to try them on. I fear the sight of mutton in the mirror.

But the more ladylike - and yes, perhaps more age-appropriate - catwalk trends, such as you might find at Zara, aren't really me either (I've been called a lot of things in my time, but ladylike is emphatically not one of them). What's a girl to do?

Instead of resorting to the Boden catalogue, I've been keeping my eye out for new fashion inspirations; women who put together outfits that catch my eye, which I can then try and emulate when I'm out shopping. To my not-so-great-surprise, as soon as I got pinning it became clear that stripes, brogues, polka dots and collars are all still very much what I want to be wearing. Throw in a midi skirt or two, add some brighter colours to my usual navy blue, and I think I've got this style thing sorted.

Is ASOS Premier worth it?

The #BEDM topic for today is Top Tips and for tomorrow it's Style & Fashion, so I thought I'd combine the two and turn my attention away from politics and to the more pressing issues of the day. Namely: is ASOS Premier worth it?

I buy a lot from ASOS (on average about two orders a month, although luckily most of it goes back after trying on, otherwise I'd be even more skint than I usually am) and so, when I was placing an order I needed urgently, it seemed worthwhile to take a punt on Premier membership.

What do you get?
For £9.99 a year, the ASOS Premier service (currently available in the UK, USA and Germany) offers three things:
- Unlimited next day delivery
- Occasional discount offers and early access to sales
- A monthly magazine

The next day delivery is obviously the most important part of the package. With ASOS free delivery generally taking between 4 and 8 days to arrive, the ability to order something in the evening and have it arrive the next morning is fantastic for impatient shoppers like me.

The membership offers were less important in terms of convincing me to join Premier, but in six months of membership I've already had at least eight pre-sale invitations or discount codes (for anything from 10% to 25% off). I'm not terribly bothered about access to pre-sale, but getting 25% off my shopping once in a while is a huge bonus.

Finally, the magazine is published ten times a year and although it would be of fairly limited interest if you're not into fashion and music, I find it entertaining enough for a half hour flick through over a cup of tea.

Is it worth it?
I joined last autumn and although I then spent four months on a spending ban I still feel like I've got my money's worth. If you'd be buying from ASOS anyway, the regular discount codes more than cover the £9.99 annual fee. And if, like me, you're horribly impatient, being able to order something at 7pm one day and have it arrive the next afternoon - without paying through the nose for express delivery - is brilliant. ASOS carry a huge range of high street brands, from Dr Martens to New Look, so being able to access next-day delivery (and regular discounts) on those brands is also a big selling point.

Personally I think that, at just £9.99 for a year, Premier is well worth it. I'll definitely be renewing my subscription when it comes up.

* This is not a sponsored post, I'm just a big fan of ASOS Premier! *

A Birthday Wishlist

The prompt for yesterday was 'Wishlist' and with my birthday coming up in June, I thought this was a good excuse to put together a birthday list.

First up (although not pictured), I'd be happy with anything from Modern Girl Blitz's Etsy shop: the Sylvia Plath typewriter brooch? Need. The 'Queer' button badge? Need. The 'Feminism Is Cool' banner temporary tattoo? NEED. But top of the list has to be the Riot Grrrl sweater clip set (although the Book Worm ones would be pretty cool too).

I think I first spied the Paperchase Meal Planner on Miss Pond's blog (or was it Miss Smidge?!), and it's exactly what we need to help organise our food shopping and dinners.

I drink Earl Grey tea by the bucket load, and my top choice of bag is the rather pricey Teapig bags.. Too expensive to be a regular feature of our grocery shopping, I'd love some as a birthday treat.

I still have a huge vinyl collection from my teens, plus a burgeoning recent collection of records Thomas and I have either bought or been gifted. So I need to address our lack of record player urgently, and how better than with this beautiful Crosley turntable from Urban Outfitters?

I love the Modcloth aesthetic and it kills me that they don't currently have an EU shipping hub, meaning that any order comes with a customs charge (it's not the charge I object to, which is often only a pound or two, but the hefty £8 Post Office fee on top) and is basically impossible to return. But of my, how I need this gingham dress in my life.

How perfect is this Riot Not Diet print from Etsy? I need it on my kitchen wall.

Five Ways In Which You Can Resist

I woke up this morning and thought for just a second that the past 24 hours had been an awful dream. No such luck. It turns out that the politics of selfishness, fear and austerity really did appeal to a majority in the UK.

I am desperately worried about the next five years. Worried for women, for mothers, for children. For teachers and doctors and nurses. Terrified for anyone who becomes unwell or loses their job, and for people with disabilities. Concerned about young people trying to get an education, find jobs and affordable places to live. There can be no doubt that with inequality having soared under the Coalition, with the families of half a million children relying on foodbanks in one of the world's richest countries, with the wealthiest citizens seeing that wealth increase while they dodge tax, the future looks bleak.

Right now, resistance is not futile: it's essential.

1. Don't just complain: do something
I'm massively guilty of this, thinking that having a right good moan on Twitter is somehow 'doing my bit' for the cause. Instead, engage with local politics and community issues. Seek out local charities which work with refugees, or volunteer at a foodbank. That old hippy saying, "Be the change you want to see in the world?" Never more true than now.

2. Get to know your MP.
Your MP is there to represent their constituents, which is you. Regardless of their (and your) political affiliation, you need to make sure they know your views on the issues that concern you, be that the NHS, the Human Rights Act or a possible EU referendum. Make a nuisance of yourself. Write, email, phone, visit their offices. With the Tory majority in parliament being slim, pressure on your local MP can contribute to key debates and votes going against the government.

3. Protest, protest, protest
Now, more than ever, we need to get out onto the streets and make our voices heard. I will be joining the march against austerity in London on June 20th, organised by the People's Assembly. Sisters Uncut campaign against the affects of austerity on women, specifically cuts to domestic violence services. People's March For The NHS have spread their campaign across England after first focusing on marches in London (and while London protests and marches are obviously useful in terms of political and media visibility, they aren't always easy for those of use who don't live close to the capital). And UK Uncut stage UK-wide acts of 'creative civil disobedience' to protest against austerity. So get involved: donate what you can to resistance groups, get involved with organising on a local level, show your support by turning up to their protests and events.

4. Join a political party and/or a trade union
We are much stronger collectively than individually, and this has never been more true than now. Unless the Labour Party undergoes a socialist revolution, I personally don't feel any political party represents my own views enough to join, but I'm an active member of my trade union. And thanks to Gwen, who reminded me about the Electoral Reform Society. If there's one thing this election has shown, it's that the our electoral system is broken: the ERS campaign for changes to the current First Past The Post system.

5. Use social media as a tool of solidarity
Finally, seek support and advice from the voices of those with whom you have solidarity. It's been pointed out frequently in the past day that Twitter and Facebook tend to act as echo chambers, in which our own views are repeated back to us, because we of course we generally choose to follow those with whom we share political views. However, while there is clearly a desperate need for those of us on the Left in the UK to engage with people who voted Tory, we also need to engage in some self-care. And for me, in the desperate sadness of the past 24 hours, that has included using Twitter as a tool of support, taking comfort from the fact that other people are feeling the same as me, and using that to mobilise and begin taking action.