Ditto, But Some Positives Too - W/E 20th June 2025

Another week, another shift on Sunday. I was working 12 till 6 this week, which was a bit longer than normal. OH was away on a cycling holiday with some friends. He departed on Friday morning, and I'd been home alone since then. I didn't mind it though and I was working most of the time, doing college work or at college, so I was very busy.

When I got home on Sunday night, I finally had a few hours to do some college work. I spent about 3 hours doing some prep for my practical assessments, which was tiring after work, but I couldn't waste the opportunity.

On Monday morning, I woke up feeling a bit groggy. I'd slept well, but had gone to bed way too late. I couldn't lie in, as I had to do some food shopping. I went locally this week and just bagged the absolute essentials to get me through to Wednesday, when I could do a top up shop in time for OH coming home in the evening.

I then just had enough time to get lunch, pack up a something for supper on my break, and head into work to do a 1pm till 10pm shift. This was the last shift for a couple of days, and it went okay, more so because a certain member of staff wasn't working and I had a good chat to a colleague, which was very illuminating.

When I got home, I was shattered. I did some financial stuff, as I had some bills to pay, did a bit of blogging and then went to bed. I probably should have done some more college work, but just didn't have the band width after a long intense shift.

Tuesday, was my usual day to go to a gym class, but I decided not to go to the class this week and instead, booked myself into the gym, as this meant that I could go in early, get my session done and get home. I also decided to skip my sewing class, as I had my first practical assessment on Wednesday and needed the day to prepare.  I had to message my tutor a few times with some last minute questions, but I think I'm as prepared as I can be in the circumstances. I just hope it goes okay.

I had a shower in the evening so I could get up early and not need much time to get ready. I aimed to get to college early and do a bit more prep before the assessment. 

I was super tired when I woke at 6 ish the next morning. I had to drag myself out of bed. I didn't quite get to college as early as I'd hoped, but managed a little bit of  revision/prep before our tutor arrived. To be honest, I don't know if much went in, as I was so nervous. 

My actual assessment was a formative one, before a final assessment next week. As such, it was like a practice run, but still had to be done correctly. You could repeat parts of it, if the tutor felt it necessary, which I did need to do, as on a couple of occasions my mind went totally blank, but I got through it okay and so did the person I was partnered up with. I got some really good feedback from my tutor too, which gave me a bit more confidence going forward.

I felt so relieved once it was done. I was glad I'd persevered with it and it felt worth the effort. I needed to stop off on the way home and do a top up shop at Aldi and Home Bargains nearby. It felt like a luxury to be able to do such things, as I haven't had the time to do any but essential food shopping lately, and then always with a time limit hanging over me.

When I got home, I had some time to just chill, for what felt like the first time in ages. I ended up going back to bed for a few hours, as the last week has been really intense and I just needed to catch up on some sleep and reset. Besides it was really hot and the heat made me feel sleepy too.

By the time I woke up, OH was almost back in the country. I had arranged to pick him up from a local train station. I just had time to drop into the allotment, as I'd not managed to go whilst he was away and everything desperately needed watering. It thought it would look worse than it did, which was lucky. We did have a downpour on Friday night, so I think that helped. There's lots of stuff growing well and some berries to harvest, which I didn't have time to do on this occasion.

I came home, watered the garden and then had half an hour to chill, blog, watch YouTube, etc., before going to pick up OH. It was good to hear all about his trip. He'd had a really good time, despite the cycling being hard going.

On Thursday, I woke early. I've been sleeping well lately, but waking quite early. I got up and had some breakfast. OH and I headed out to the allotment after breakfast to harvest, feed, weed and water the plot. It was looking good. 

After lunch I got a call from work, asking if I'd go in a couple of hours early. I ended up going in for 3.30pm instead of 5pm, but we left by 9.30pm, which was good. It was pretty busy.

Friday morning, I booked into the gym for 10am. I walked there and had a pretty good workout. I've changed my routine around quite a bit, which I'll explain in another post at some point. It's working out well for me and I look forward to my gym sessions rather than them feeling like a chore.

On the way home from the gym, I dropped into a local charity shop that I haven't visited for a couple of months. I bought a few small things and did go over my £25 monthly thrifting budget, but I haven't spent much money this month as I've been so busy, so I don't feel too bad about it. I'll post separately about what I bought.

I was due at work for 4pm, so after having some lunch and chilling for a while, I got showered and ready for work. Work was busy, but OK. I was glad to get home though, knowing that I had Saturday off to go to see LB's degree Show at her Uni.

On Saturday, we drove over to Wimbledon in South West London, to see LB's work in her degree show. We got there at about 1.30pm and met her at a nearby pub for lunch and a catch up, which was nice. We then walked down the road to her University campus where we wandered through the degree shows of the various courses on the campus. There were film, costume design, technical arts and theatre design course work on display, so it was really interesting to see the students' work. Some of it was amazing. They were so talented. I have to say that being a sewist, I particularly enjoyed the costume design work, which was done to an amazing standard.

It was lovely to see LB's work too, of course. She's worked really hard for the last couple of years and we're very pround of her for completing her course and doing so well. We hung around until 5pm, when the show finished and the students could take their work home with them. We ended up bringing LB's model home with us, so that she didn't have to carry it home herself. We then took her back to her flat and chatted for a while with her and her flatmate. They will be both moving out at the end of this month. It felt like the end of an era. They've both enjoyed living in the flat though, so it's been mostly a good experience for them.

We then headed home and brought some of LB's stuff back with us. We will be returning in a week to collect the rest of it in a van.  Both OH and I were really tired when we got home and were both in bed quite early, which marked the end to another busy week.

A Week of Too Much Work and Not Enough Play - W/E 14th June 2023

The week began with work as usual. I was working from 2pm til 6pm on Sunday and I was tired after working the previous three busy days. It was fairly busy, but it didn't pass as quickly as some shifts do and I was super glad to get to the end of it. On the way home, I was disappointed to see that I'd been given 5 shifts again next week. I'm finding all these extra hours a bit too much at the moment. It's hard to get any kind of work/life balance.

On Monday, I headed out to do the weekly shop as usual. This week, I just did a whizz round the grocery stores to get what we needed. I didn't have time to hang around, as I was due at work in the evening. I really didn't enjoy my shift in the evening for a couple of reasons. One was that I was tired, as it was my 5th consequetive shift and the other reason I won't go into here. I'm just grateful to have two days off now. I feel like I'm too old for this.

On Tuesday, it was lovely to have a bit of a lie in and know that I didn't need to go to work. I don't really get much of a lie in, as the builders next door start work at 8am each morning and it gets noisy. They do tend to knock off before 3 though, which is good on the days I'm not working, as I get to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet and can venture out into the garden.

I was booked into my usual class at the gym, but I had a bit of time before I needed to head out, so I made a small start on my sewing class project, winding some thread onto a bobbin ready for class and also sewing a couple of seams on the dress bodice. I then headed off to my class which was okay. When I got home, I had lunch and then got ready to go to my sewing class.

It is really lovely to sew in a different space where you've got room to spread out all your things on a double table. There were only 6 or 7 of us there this week, so there was plenty of room. I did some more work on my dress, sewing together the pieces for the sleeves and skirt. It's getting a bit tricky, as it's not really coming together perfectly. It's my fault, because I cut some of the fabric pieces bigger, just in case and now I'm struggling to get everything to fit together well. I need to work on it at home and figure out a solution. I enjoyed the couple of hours there though and it passes so quickly. It's quite peaceful and meditative.

I took a couple of library books back whilst there, as I'd finished reading them, I think that 's 5 or 6 books now read this year. I got one of Nancy Birtwhistle's books out this week and started reading it on the bus home.

OH had made us a curry when I got in, which was a treat. After supper, we both headed down to the allotment. I did some harvesting of strawberries and raspberries and then a bit of weeding and OH watered and fed the plants. It's choc full now, no room for any more plants until we harvest some potatoes or lettuce. The baby fox was out and about, but kept his distance from us. He's very cute.

When we got back home, we sat in the garden for half an hour and had a drink. I potted on a verbena bonariensis that OH bought me at B&Q the other week. There was 20% off all plants, so it only cost £5.60 which was a steal. It's got an amazing root ball and really needed a bigger pot, so I just decided to give it one.  In all, it was a lovely day, just great not to be working.

I booked myself in to see a film on Wednesday, at our small local independent cinema on our high street. The film was The Salt Path, and I went on my own, as it's not really OH's bag, plus he was busy and couldn't spare the time. The showing was at 11.15am, so it was a nice treat for myself after working so much these last few weeks. I really enjoyed the film. I've heard some people have suggested that it was boring, but I don't know how they could find it so. It was based on a real story of resiliance and finding hope after difficulty. A real storyline. I thought it was really good and the scenery amazing. It made me want to get my walking boots and rucksack on and just go do it.

I came home after the film and had some lunch and then shortly afterwards I needed to head out to meet some friends for supper. The timing wasn't great, as I have so much on my plate right now, but I didn't want to be a party pooper. I walked all the way to a fabric warehouse on the way, to get some steps in, where I bought some fabric to make another dungaree dress and maybe a skirt too. It was a camoflauge design, which I think is a high percentage cotton and cost £4 per meter, so I bought 3 metres. I also picked up some elastic, a floral patch and a zip, which the guy threw in for free, which was nice of him. Here's a picture of my little haul:

I then hopped onto a bus and met up with my friends at our usual haunt. It was nice to catch up. I ended up walking all the way home, as the buses were being diverted. It was probably 3 miles or so. I got a bit hassled by some guy part of the way, but I managed to shake him off eventually.

On Thursday morning, I headed out to the gym for a session, which I enjoyed. I've changed my gym routine now and it's feeling a lot more strenuous and beneficial. LB was coming home for a few hours later to pick something up, so I had a small window of time to try to do some college work. I then discovered via an email from my tutor, that I had more multiple choice quizzes to complete for the course, so I got distracted by that and didn't do the actual work that I needed to. I did get some of the quizzes completed though which was good, but still had a few more to do.

LB came home and it was lovely to see her and catch up with her news.  She's been so busy with Uni work and is now on the final stretch, as she's preparing for her degree show, which starts at the weekend. Unfortunately, I can't visit until next week, due to work commitments, but I'm hoping to go with OH next Saturday. Once this is over, she's just got her graduation in July and it will all be finished. She's due to come back home at the beginning of July, so I'm looking forward to that. We will need to hire a van to pick her up and move all of her stuff out of the flat. I'm thinking of staying over a night or two to help her clean up the flat and pack, work allowing. It might mean missing my last sewing class, but I'm fine with that.

I was then due at work for 5pm, so I had to head out. Work was okay, but I was just happy to get through it. That seems to be a recurring theme at the moment.

On Friday morning, I was due at college for 9am. I was supposed to have some work done, but I didn't get it completed. I made a start over breakfast, but didn't have time to complete it. I am still hanging by a thread in terms of staying on the course and doing the final practical assessments. I explained this to my tutor and fellow students in class when I got there and they were really supportive which was helpful to me. We then had to do some practical role playing work, which did give me a bit more confidence, but I've still got a lot of work to do and very little spare time to do it due to work committments.

I had to leave promptly at 12.30pm, as I was due at work for 3pm. Work was okay, but it felt like a long shift and I was very tired. I did get a break, which helped. I'm just taking it a day at a time at the moment. It's all I can do.

Saturday, I decided not to go to the free gym session as I was too tired. Something had to give and on this occasion it was this. I then got a message from a neighbour asking if I could look after their dog, as they were going out for the day and couldn't take him with them. I agreed to have him for the morning and then drop him home when I went to work for 3pm. It was an extra thing I could have done without, but he's a sweet boy and I didn't like to think of him being home alone all day.  Besides, I figured a walk with him late morning would be lovely. He settled quite well, made himself at home and we did have a lovely walk, so I did get some steps in.

I finished all of the remaining multiple choice assessments for college on Saturday morning, so at least that is all completed now and I can focus on the practical stuff going forward, which is currently the most pressing, as I have my practical assessments coming up in the next two weeks.

Work on Saturday night was busy but okay, ending another crazy busy week. Once I get to the end of June, I'm hoping things will calm down again.

Trying to Get My Act Together - W/E 7th June 2025 - Part 2

The first half of this week I was busy with work, the weekly shop and classes and although work was due to resume in the second half of the week, on Wednesday, I had a day of respite from needing to be anywhere or do anything in particular.

When I got up, I did need to finish the wardrobe clear out, by putting away the clothes I took out that didn't fit and rearranging the out of season storage to make it more accessible. Once I'd done that, I got ready and went down for breakfast.

I decided to go for a 3.5km run this morning, thinking that it would be my only chance to do so this week. I had it in my head that I was in college on Friday, instead of Wednesday this week and had shortened a shift at work as a consequence. When I checked my timetable, I realised that I wasn't in college at all until next Friday, which was a relief if I'm honest. I hadn't even looked at my college stuff since before half term and it was calling to me, as there's quite a lot of work that I need to do.

I was even considering not bothering to complete the course, as I was feeling overwhelmed with having so many shifts at work and all the college work to do. Today though, I got my books out and made a bit of an effort to do some work. I went online and completed 9 out of the 10 online open exam sections that I needed to complete. There's just one left, but I'm really struggling with it. I had to give up on it eventually. I felt a bit better for doing some work, although there is still a lot left to do, but I should have a bit of time next week to do what I need to do before I go back. Most of my deadlines are the end of the month, but I do have to complete something by the next time I go in.

The hand shredder that I considered getting and did eventually buy, was delivered today. It only actually takes one sheet of paper at a time, which makes it a little slow going, but I finished off what shredding had built up and I will do any future shredding as it arises, which should make it less laborious. It seems to work okay. I don't know how long it will last, but it was cheaper than the electric one that instantly broke, doesn't have a motor to burn out and doesn't need any electricity to use it, which is all good.

Later, we watched the penultimate episode of Race Across the World which was good. I always enjoy this series.

On Thursday, I didn't want to get up. I felt really tired. I did eventually get up and headed off to the gym. I did some new strength training exercises on a machine that I've never used before at my gym, which was good. After my workout, I felt exhausted, so I must have done something right. I came straight home and had lunch and then needed to get ready for work at 2pm. Work was very busy, with some additional stuff going on in the background which had us all on our best behaviour, but the eventual outcome was a good one. 

I wasn't working until 5pm on Friday, so I was very happy to have most of the day to do as I pleased. I did not do any exercise. I needed a day off. I had a lie in, as I'd gone to bed late after a hectic shift at work and then decided that I was going to use the time I had to do some more sewing. As a consequence, I spent the morning altering a pair of trousers from my wardrobe clearout and transforming them into a skirt. It went okay. I was quite happy with the outcome. I'm doing a separate post about clothing alterations, as I've got a few planned for when I get the time to do them.

Work was busy again on Friday, so I just put my head down and worked through it.

On Saturday morning, I got up early and headed off to the free gym session, which was good. I'm developing the courage to venture into a different part of the gym and do some new to me exercises and the workouts do feel more strenuous in a good way. 

When I got home, I chilled for a bit before getting ready for work. I was due to go for a mammogram before work, in a mobile screening unit. Luckily, it was round the corner from work. My work schedule had been changed at the last minute, to start work a couple of hours earlier, so at least this meant that I didn't need to kill two hours in the shops after my appointment, as that could have been expensive. Work was very busy and I was shattered by the time I got home. Working all these extra hours is taking it's toll a bit, if I'm honest, so I ended the week feeling pretty tired.

A Week of Feeling Overwhelmed and a Wardrobe Sort Out - Part One - W/E 7th June 2025

This week began as most weeks have lately, with a shift at work on Sunday. I was due to work 11am to 3pm, but almost as soon as I got there, I was asked if I would work until closing at 6pm, which I agreed to do seeing as I was already there.  I did have to go out at my break and buy a very unappetising and a not too healthy lunch from a nearby shop, as I'd not taken anything in with me, but such is life.  

The shift itself was probably one of the most stressful I've experienced in recent months. It was Payday weekend and we were very busy with shoppers, which is good for business, but I seemed to get a lot of complicated transactions come my way and by the end of the shift I was mentally and physically drained. 

I was so happy to go home and chill, but then didn't sleep well, as I got to thinking about LB, who was facing her final Uni deadline and I knew that she would probably be pulling an allnighter, which she was, as she messaged us to that effect the following day and to tell us that everything was finished and done. I was so relieved for her.

I headed out of town to do the weekly shop as usual on Monday. It was quite an expensive shop as were were out of quite a few things and I needed to get a couple of small gifts for OH for Fathers' Day. I also dropped into the charity shop for the first time in a few weeks. I had a good look through the rails, but this time I concentrated only on items made with materials made from natural fibres i.e. cotton, linen, viscose,etc.  

I tried quite a few things on, but many of them looked awful. I did come away with 4 items of clothing though; a navy linen top for £3 (which I intend to shorten), a blue floral linen dress for £5 (which I'm going to cut down to make a skirt), a floral viscose top for £2 and a very pretty viscose dress for £5. 

It really makes looking a lot easier, when you're only looking for natural fibres, as there are so few of them to look at. Most clothing in this particular shop, as in many charity shops these days, is synthetic, so it rules out a lot of what is on the rails. I've been inspired to do this by the books I've been reading lately, as they suggest that these fabrics are more sustainable. ( although viscose and cotton not so much!) I'll post about my finds in this months clothing purchases post.

I was working again in the evening, so after getting home and unpacking the shopping, I had to get ready and head into work. A couple of new staff started work tonight and I caught my first glimpse of our new Store Manager. It was busy again tonight though and as it was my fourth consequetive shift, I felt really tired and overwhelmed. I was so glad to go home at the end of the night, knowing I had a couple of days off, before it starts all over again.

On Tuesday, I managed to get booked into my usual class at the gym. I was looking forward to it as I'd missed the previous week on account of my dentist appointment. I made myself boiled eggs for breakfast and then did some financial stuff before heading out. I'd received my tax rebate, so I redistributed it into savings accounts. I also checked my Premium bonds and was happy to have won £100, which was a major bonus. 

My gym class was okay, not as good as usual though. When I came home, I made some lunch and then got ready to go out to my sewing class. I was looking forward to going back, as I'm loving sewing at the moment and feeling very inspired by some books I've been reading lately and the camaraderie at the class. 

I enjoyed the class. I didn't do any real sewing, just prepping of my fabric pattern pieces ready to start constructing the garment. The teacher did a little teaching session on different types of zips and how to install them and also demonstrated how to change the thread on the overlocker which was useful. It feels lovely to be amongst fellow sewists, as it's often something I do alone at home.

Talking to another class member, I discovered one of the reasons why I'm probably working so many shifts this week. Eid is taking place at the weekend and many people are buying gifts for family members, which is partly why work is busy. In addition, I think that many of the staff may be taking time off to celebrate with their families, hence my getting more shifts, which is fair enough. It's just come at a difficult time for me, as I have a lot going on out of work at the moment, which makes life a bit overwhelming at times.

Anyway, I took out a few more library books after my class (which takes place in a library), as I've almost finished the previous book I borrowed and will be returning it next week. Here's a picture of the books I borrowed:

After supper, I decided that I needed to sort out my wardrobe. I've been buying quite a few items of clothing lately, and I think it partly stems from feeling like I haven't got any nice clothes to wear that fit well. To be honest, my wardrobe was so packed full, I couldn't see half of what was in there, so it was quite enlightening to go through and try everything on, remove what didn't fit well and just leave what did, so I know what I've got to choose from. It made me realise that I had more choices than I thought. 

I think I'm just feeling annoyed with myself for putting weight back on. Some of the things I used to love wearing when I lost the weight, I can no longer wear, and it is so disappointing. I'm hanging on to quite a few of them, just in case, and some other items from my wardrobe I may alter to make them more wearable, or cut them up for the fabric to make something else. Some other things I will donate. 

One positive from doing this, aside from having much more room in my wardrobe and a clearer idea of what I can wear everyday, was that I found some extra clothes to wear for work this summer that still fit (just). 

Here's a photo of how it looked when I'd finished:

Everything is now much more accessible and seasonally appropriate which should make getting dressed every day much easier. I do feel much better now it has been done and it may just curb my urge to spend money on more clothes, although I don't like to make promises I can't keep.

A Week of Just Going with my Sewing MoJo

Half term week from both college courses meant that I had a few days to myself, to do as I pleased. I haven't had much free time in the last few weeks, so it was wonderful to be able to choose what I did each day. I probably should have been doing college work, but my heart was telling me to sew, and I didn't take much persuading. I seemed to have lots of ideas of things I wanted to make, so I just decided to go with the flow.

The first project I started was a patchwork project. I wanted to make a patchwork skirt to attach to a t-shirt and make a dress. The t-shirt was a brown colour with pretty broiderie anglaise sleeves, so I picked out brown, gold and green fabrics from my stash which I thought would go with it and made a large piece of pieced together fabric to make the skirt from.

When I tried to put the two together, I decided that I didn't actually like the fit of the t-shirt on me. It looked too tight, which wasn't flattering. As a consequence, I decided to just make a skirt in a completely different style, using an old pattern that I've used numerous times before, so I proceeded to cut the pattern pieces out of the patchwork pieced fabric.

I didn't get any further with this project this week, but it doesn't actually take long to make this skirt, if I can find some spare time. I just got distracted with other things I wanted to make.

The next project I decided to start, was to make a quilted vest, using the one I'd recently bought from Primark to make a pattern. This had been something I had planned to make before I bought the vest, so I'd already put some fabric aside for it.

To begin with, I created a paper pattern by drawing around the bought vest. This was a bit tricky, but I think it turned out okay.  I then cut out the fabric pieces and also some lining pieces in a co-ordinationg plain fabric that I had in my stash.

I wasn't originally intending to use any kind of wadding, but the fabric I was using was quite flimsy unlike the denim of the original, and as I had some thin wadding, I decided to include a layer of it, so that it would give a better quilted effect. Luckily, I just had enough wadding in my stash. I then pinned and tacked the wadding and layers of fabric in place ready to iron and quilt.

Here's a picture of the pieces ready to quilt:

I am a bit nervous about quilting the pieces, as I need to keep the lines straight and even. I decided not to use the diagonal quilting on the bought vest and to instead just quilt in vertical lines 2cm apart, as I thought there might be less room for error doing it this way, or that errors might not show as much. The pattern on the fabric that I am using does have rows of polka dots on it, so I'm hoping that this might help me to keep my lines straight by following the dots as much as possible.

Once again, I didn't get any further with this project this week, but I made a start, which is something. Sometimes, that's all it takes to get your creative ideas flowing and I do like to have lots of different projects on the go, so that I don't get bored with any one of them.

The final project I started during this week, was to make a patchwork duvet cover for the spare bedroom/sewing room. It was a bit of a random idea, but I've seen some on Pinterest and it's such a great stash buster.  Besides, cotton duvet covers are very expensive these days, so why not make my own with cotton fabric I already have and don't use. I used some of the same fabrics that I'd used for the patchwork skirt, as I wanted to use them up. I stuck to greens though on this project, to go with bedding we already had (i.e. fitted sheets and pillow cases). 

I think I managed to cut enough pieces of fabric to make the duvet cover top, as can be seen from the photo (Please note that some of the colours don't show true on camera). I may still need to add the odd row or two once I start sewing them together, which is what I now need to do. Again, I didn't really get the time to do this during half term week, so this is still an ongoing project, but one that I look forward to moving forward with. I'm not sure what I'm going to use for the back of the cover yet, but I do have some vintage flat sheets, so one of those will probably do the job.

I'll keep you posted with progress on all these projects, but I'm not sure when I'll get chance to work on them again for a while.

Monthly Finances - May 2025

This month has been a much more expensive month than the previous one. The main reasons being OH's birthday falling within this month, on which I spent about £100, as he didn't really want much. I also needed to pay for more dental treatment that I had done this month. I paid £75 as a deposit for my treatment and then another £235 for the filling and clean that I actually had done.

As a consequence, it was a very expensive month. I was a little over on the food budget and also the household budget, as I bought quite a few household items this month, stocking up on washing sheets, scent booster beads, eco washing up liquid, toilet cleaner, dental products, etc.

I also bought a shredder, that broke after just a couple of minutes. I'm contemplating now buying a hand shredder, in the hope that it might work better and not break so easily, although it takes only 2 sheets of paper at a time, so will take longer to do any shredding. If I shred as I go, it might work for me.

As usual, I did spend some money on clothes for myself, namely £68, but I've gone into more detail about this in my monthly clothing purchases post.

Other things I spent money on this month included some notions for my sewing class and other projects to the tune of about £20, plus the bus fares to actually get to class. I topped up my oyster card twice this month at £10 each time.

I also put £10 into a leaving kitty at work and spent £44 on bits for the house, including a new cotton sheet and matching pillow cases and a large bath mat. They were things that we needed, so I don't regret this expenditure.

In terms of my £25 charity shop budget that I allow myself, I only spent £9.79 in charity shops this month, which was progress for me. This was spent on a few sewing bits, some packing cubes and a book.

I didn't win anything on the Premium bonds this month, but I did receive £175 in interest on a fixed rate Isa I'd set up a couple of years ago, which has now come to term and this ended up being shared between the car fund, rounding up balances in various savings accounts and also used for the purchase of more Premium Bonds.

I managed to put £200 in the car fund, £100 in the birthday fund (although £50 of this was spent on OH's birthday) and £50 in LB's overdraft fund to help her clear it when she finishes Uni next month.

Despite the expense, I feel like I've still made progress financially this month, but I'm hoping to spend a little less next month and maybe save a little more.

(OH spent about £1100 this month, on bricks and sand for the new garden patio, which is virtually complete and looks great. It was definitely £1000 well spent, as it probably cost us a lot less than paying someone else to do the work. We're both very happy with how it turned out)

Next month, I don't really have any big expenses on the horizon, save for paying off my credit cards (I use these for online purchases and some other expenses, i.e. dental bills) and getting by. It will be a month of working quite a lot and focussing on getting my college work done and my floral dress made at sewing class, so I might not have too much time to trawl the charity shops or spend money, but then being busy hasn't stopped me in the past.

I hope you've had a much less expensive month than I have.

Monthly Clothing Purchases - May 2025

This month I spent £68 on clothing which is quite a lot for me. All of the items I bought were new from high street retail stores.

The first item I bought was a gym t-shirt which cost me £8.80. I did my usual thing of slightly rolling up the sleeves and sewing them into place, as I prefer a boyfriend style of t-shirt.

I then made a visit to a large local Primark store and whilst looking around I decided to buy the following items:

The first item was this quilted denim waistcoat. I've wanted a quilted vest/waistcoat like this for a while, but not found one I liked until I saw this one. It's useful on those colder days when you need an extra layer, but not necessarily sleeves. I'm going to use it to make another one myself using a cotton print fabric, as it is a very simple construction. It cost £20, which is quite a lot for me to spend, but I like it and have worn it a couple of times already.

The second item I bought was this long tiered black cotton jersey skirt. I thought that this would be a nice item to wear over the summer months when it gets hot. It is loose and comfortable and not unflattering. I wore it to my sewing class the other week and it was very easy to wear. This cost £12. I don't actually wear this at it's full length as it is a little too long, but it's easy to roll up at the waist and wear a loose top over the waistband. I may alter the length at the waistband, if I can be bothered. I'm happy with this item, it's just what I needed for the summer months.

I then bought this pair of jogger pants in a petrol blue colour. I already had a similar pair in black which I really like, but which are elasticated at the ankles. I do prefer the elasticated ankles, so I may alter these to be the same style, as I think it will make them more flattering and easier to wear. Just a great casual pant, looking a bit creased in this picture though.

Finally, after paying for the above items, I was on my way out of the store when I saw these grey running shorts by Kappa. These are my favourite style of running shorts, so I decided to buy a pair too. I have worn them to run in and for the gym and they are comfortable with zipped pockets to keep keys in, which is good. These also cost £12.

Although I did visit a couple of charity shops during the month of May, I didn't find any clothing that I wanted to buy. I do prefer to buy second hand, and prefer to look in charity shops, but if I see something in a regular store that I like, think I will wear a lot and have been looking for, I will buy it.

These items have given me a bit more choice in my current wardrobe, so I'm quite happy with my purchases and look forward to wearing them on repeat.

An Expensive Week, But With a Few Good Surprises - W/E 31st May 2025

This week began with a couple of shifts at work on Sunday and Monday over the Bank Holiday Weekend. I was working 2pm til 6pm on Sunday and 1pm until 9pm on Monday, so work took up most of the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend.  It was fairly busy at work, which meant that time passed reasonably quickly.

I did the weekly shop on Sunday morning, as I had a bit more time before work, but it was a bit of a rush - shopping, getting lunch and getting to work on time, but at least it was done. I had a dental appointment on Tuesday morning, so I couldn't do it then.

Whilst I was working over the weekend, OH was working hard on the brick patio. He's just got a little bit of finishing to do and it will be done.

It was just as well that I worked extra hours over the Bank Holiday Weekend and that I've got more hours for the next couple of weeks, as my trip to the dentist on Tuesday morning was very expensive.  When did having a filling and a clean cost £300? I was shocked. So, there may be very little money put in savings next month, as it will all be going towards paying the dental bill. I was glad to get it done though and I don't need to go back for a good while. I'm even contemplating moving to a different dental surgery, if I can find one, as it's become a lot more expensive at my current one recently.

The remainder of Tuesday, I decided to spend doing exactly as I pleased. It was half term, so there was no sewing class, but because I'd not had time to sew at all for a week, I was feeling like I wanted to do some sewing. It is my happy place afterall and I had an idea for a new project that I wanted to get started on, something I will be doing at home, not at class and that will use up more fabric from my scraps and stash. I'll create a post about it at some point.

I also wanted to finish the dungaree dress, which just needed hemming and the buttons attaching, so I did that first. I had a bit of trouble with buttons, so I'm just hoping they work out okay.

I then did some work on the new project which was fun. By the end of the day, I'd totally changed my plans about what I was going to do, but all will be revealed at some point. I've still got more work to do on it.

We got the news today that OH's brother is going to be leaving hospital in a few weeks and going back home, which was good.

On Wednesday, I had a long lie in. I think my body was still traumatized from going to the dentist. I laid in bed reading my current book, which I'm enjoying, before getting up and making a good breakfast of two soft boiled eggs, as I was planning on going to the gym.

I got some good news today, which has saved me financially heading into June. I was notified that I was due a tax rebate, so I quickly got onto the HMRC website to claim it. I probably won't receive it until next month, but it will nicely cover the cost of the dental treatment,  thankfully. I knew I was due a rebate, as I'd paid tax last year, but hadn't earned enough to merit it, it was my tax code which was incorrect for some reason. I was hoping to put the whole of the rebate into savings, but this will now sadly not be possible.  On the positive side, some of it will get saved. I guess health must come first, dental or otherwise.

I eventually got ready and headed off to the gym which was okay. I then walked into town to check the balance on my building society account, as I was due some share dividends, which hadn't actually gone in yet and I wanted to check out and use my new account card for the first time. I also picked up a few things that I needed whilst out and dropped into our local charity shop on the way home for a mooch, but I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy, which is rare for me.

After lunch, I decided to do some financial stuff, as it was almost month end. I did a bit more sewing later on and I also created a pattern for something else that I want to make, using an item I already owned as the template.

I had another lie in on Thursday. I think because I've been so busy in the last few weeks, I just needed some downtime at home, doing very little aside from sewing. My soul just needed it. I probably should have been doing some college work, but my heart just wasn't in it. I know I'm just procrastinating, but I'm enjoying the process.

I read more of my book, which is interesting. It's like a social history of work and clothing combined and I do like social history, so I find it fascinating.

After breakfast, I did some cutting out for two new projects. One using the pattern I'd made the night before, the other was cutting up fabric for another patchwork project, but not a quilt this time. I'm using lots of fabrics from my stash, which is all good. It needs using, instead of just sitting in the drawer.

I had a no makeup, t-shirt and tracksuit pants kind of day today, where I dressed down knowing that I was going to stay home and potter and not go out of the house. These are my favourite kind of days and besides, it gives my skin a rest from wearing makeup.

In the afternoon, I retired to the sewing room to do more work on one of the  new projects I'd started. I also cut out all the pattern pieces for the dress I want to make next at my sewing class. I now just need to stitch in the notches before I go back to class next week.

Later, I did some laundry and hung it out, so I'd have clothes for work over the weekend and in the evening, after supper, OH and I watched Race Across the World, which was good. OH did the last few bits he needed to do on the patio today, so now it is all finished and I'll be posting about it shortly.

Another lie in on Friday morning, reading my book, making the most of it whilst I can. I decided to go out for a run this morning, when I eventually got up and ready. I was due to work in the evening, so I didn't have a lot of time to do much today. 

After lunch, I decided to do a bit of cleaning, well, vacuuming and mopping through the house, as there was lots of sand on the floors due to the patio building in the garden. By the time I'd done that it was time to get showered and go to work. I've enjoyed having some time to myself this week, doing my own thing. Pity that it's now come to an end, as I will be working over the weekend.

On Saturday morning, I read for half an hour in bed and then got up and ready to go to the free gym session. Afterwards, I dropped into the supermarket for a few food bits and then tried the building society again.  This time my dividends had gone in, which was good news, as I'm always happy to get extra bits of income that can be put towards savings. 

When I got home, I did a bit of blogging and blog reading, then made some eggs for lunch. I was working at 5pm again, so I couldn't get settled into doing anything much. Work was okay, but I wasn't doing a job that I particularly liked, so it dragged a little and I was glad to get to the end of another working week.

It's hard to believe that another week has passed, it's gone by so quickly this week, probably because I was having so much fun sewing and planning new projects.

I hope you've enjoyed your week.

Garden Update - May 2025

This month has seen OH make really good progress with the garden renovation. At the beginning of the month the garden looked like this:

It was a bit of a building site with the bricks and sand ready waiting to be laid to form a new patio area in front of the shed. OH started out by clearing the area and then laying down a few brick patterns to help us decide how to proceed.

The first Bank Holiday weekend of the month saw OH make good progress and half the patio got laid, until he'd virtually run out of bricks. It then looked like this:

The following week, we ventured into Hertfordshire to try to find some more bricks that blended well with the first shipment. We weren't able to get a half pallet from our original supplier, so we were forced to source some that were a good match elsewhere.  We got lucky and got another shipment delivered for the approximate number we needed.

OH got straight down to laying them the next day and laid almost the full patio, minus the edging bricks which needed cutting to size.

The second Bank Holiday Weekend in May, OH cut and laid the rest of the edging bricks, laid bricks under the compost bin, created a new step where the gate used to be and then filled in between the bricks with fine sand. He used every single brick we'd bought. Only a few small broken bits didn't get used. He could never do that again.

By the time I'd finished work on Bank Holiday Monday evening, he'd almost finished the patio. It looked great. 

He just had to brush a bit more sand into the cracks and tidy up a few areas which he did through the week and it was completely finished.  Here's a picture, with table and chairs out in readiness for us to enjoy it:

We are super happy with it. It feels so good to finally have a virtually finished grown up garden. Just the job of laying the flag stones down the side return to do and a bit of planting in the borders and the garden will be completely finished and we will be able to fully enjoy it again, although we are enjoying it as it stands now and had lunch out on the patio for the first time yesterday.

What a difference a month can make.

Another Sewing Post - Making a Dungaree Dress

 In April, I purchased a lovely denim dungaree dress for £10.50 from my local charity shop. It was labelled as XL, and as there was no fitting room, I bought it and took it home, hoping that it would fit. I really liked it because it was a longer length than many dungaree dresses, which tend to be quite short and tent like.  This one was longer and a straighter fit, which I thought might be more flattering. 

However, when I got home and tried it on, it wasn't XL at all, it was more like a size 10/12. I got it on, but it was tight in all the wrong places. I was a bit disappointed, as I really liked it, so I hung onto it hoping that I might be able to fit into it better if I lost a bit of weight again and I'm still hoping that this might happen, but I'm not counting on it. Here's a picture of the original dress:

Anyway, as it was a pretty simple construction, I decided to see if I could make a larger version that fitted better. I had some black cotton fabric that was originally salvaged from the full skirt of a dress that I cut down to a shirt. There was quite a lot of it and just enough to try to make this dress.

I then proceeded to create a paper pattern from the original dungaree dress, adding an inch or three to each side of the front and back. I kind of just winged it if I'm honest. I then cut the front and back pieces and the front and back pockets out in the fabric and set them aside intending to eventually sew them together.

When at my sewing class, I realised that the machines there could be used to sew a double stitch that you see on most denim items, where two rows of stitches run parallel to one another. I'd never seen the double needle that you use to do this before, but my tutor had one, so I had a play around at class and then brought my pattern pieces in and over a couple of weeks I managed to make the larger version of the dungaree dress.

There were some tricky moments, as I only just had enough fabric to make the dress and had to piece together some leftover strips of fabric to make the straps. They turned out okay in the end and once the fastenings were attached, they looked great.

The double needle had it's challenges too as it isn't easy to sew around a corner, but I managed okay. The finish isn't perfect and there might be the odd wobbly line here and there, but as I stitched using black cotton on black fabric, the mistakes aren't so noticable and most of them are on the back, which I don't actually see whilst wearing it.

Luckily, LB had some silver coloured jean buttons that she'd bought to mend a pair of dungarees she has and she let me use a couple of them to add to my dress. They are a different colour from the remainder of the fastenings, which are blackish, but I may paint them to make them blend a bit more or even just go with them as they are. This dress is really only for casual use, so I'm not bothered about the buttons being a different colour.

Anyway, here's a picture of the finished dress:

It looks a bit shapeless in the photo, but looks better on and fits me a lot better than the original with room to spare. I'm looking forward to wearing it over the summer and might even make another one in a different fabric i.e. a lightweight denim like the original dress or a camoflage/animal print denim if I can find one.

I'm very happy with it, but now need to see if it stands up to the wear and tear of actually wearing it. Wish me luck.

Making Progress - W/E 24th May 2025

The week started with another shift at work on Sunday. I was due in for 2pm, but as it was our local half marathon, there were road closures and diversions. I started off in the car, but as soon as I got to the end of our street, the gridlock had started, so I turned around and took the car home, deciding to walk to work instead. I was glad that I did, as I was walking much faster than the traffic was moving and I just managed to get there on time.  The shift was okay, not too busy, but passed quickly as it was short. I then caught the bus home, so I got a lot more steps in, around 10,000 in total.

After supper, I spent the evening trawling through holiday villas again, saving quite a few that were possibles, as we need to book somewhere for later in the year, now LB has received her new passport.

On Monday, I headed off to do the weekly shop. I went further afield again, as I was trying to find some slippers for OH for his birthday. They are a present from his mum. I tried to get them at our local mall, but they didn't have them in his size and at this larger out of town store they didn't have any at all, so it was a bit of a waste of time, but at least I tried.  I may have to buy them online when M&S's website is back up and running.

I then returned to where I usually shop and did the grocery shopping. I had a few of the more expensive things I buy on my list this week, so it wasn't possible to keep the bill down. I also bought a few extra bits for OH's birthday, including a cake. 

I was super tired by the time I got home, so after unpacking the shopping and documenting my spending, I headed upstairs to bed for a nap, but not before I'd wrapped OH's birthday gifts and made up a couple of food hampers for him.

I finished this book today:

It's the fourth book I've read this year and it was quite an informative read. I still have another library book to read, which is on a similar subject. I started reading it on the bus to my sewing class this week and it's quite good. I definitely agree with some of it's sentiments.

My sewing class today went okay. I didn't have too much to do to finish the dungaree dress, but I ran into a few problems stitching the back patch pockets on and ended up needing to do a lot of unpicking and re-stitching which took quite a bit of time. I did eventually get as much done as I could, enough just to finish it at home. It now just needs hemming and the buttons putting on, which I hope to do this week or over the weekend and then I can actually wear it which is exciting.

It's half term next week from both college courses, so I might have time to cut out the pattern pieces in the fabric for the floral dress I want to make next.

Just to chill when I got home, I did a bit of hand finishing work on the dungaree dress and then decided to snip up all my small fabric and thread scraps, so that it is ready to use for filling/stuffing if I ever should need it. It was wonderfully mind numbing, just what I needed. There's still quite a bit left to do though.

On Wednesday, I was up early in order to head into college. It ended up being a strange day. We found out that our exam, which was due to take place in two weeks, had changed and was now going to be open book assessment and was not going to be in an exam environment, so we could essentially work through the questions online at home or at college. We spent some time doing that in class and I managed to get a few sections completed at college, but I need to do more reading for some of the sections. You have to keep retaking each section until you get every question correct, which can be very frustrating, as some of the questions are difficult.

Anyway, when I left college, I went to the gym to do a workout, which went okay, before going home. Once home, I did a bit more work on the assessment, managing to complete 6 out of the 10 sections in total, when combined with what I'd done earlier in the day, so I'm over half way to finishing it, which will be one less thing to worry about. There are quite a lot of other things I need to do for this course though.

On Thursday, I slept in as I was feeling very tired. I stayed in bed for a while reading my library book.  This one is by Patrick Grant of Sewing Bee fame and in it he argues that we should all consume less and enjoy a more simple life with less stuff. He also traces the history of clothing and consumerism in the beginning of the book, which is quite interesting. 

I decided to have a quiet day at home today, doing very little. I just needed it. I spent the morning snipping up scraps and managed to get the lot finished which was good. From now on, I'll try to snip them up before I add them to the bag. I now have quite a large bag to use for stuffing, although I don't have any projects in mind just yet. Here's a picture:

After lunch, I caught up on a few jobs at home, before getting ready for a shift at work. I've got quite a lot of shifts scheduled over the next couple of weeks, so it's going to be a busy and exhausting time what with the college work I've got to do as well.

One bit of good news today was that the dentist office rang to change my appointment for a filling to next week. This means that I won't have to miss a sewing class now, but I will miss next week's gym class and I will also incurr more expense this month, but you can't have everything. I just want to get the treatment done and over with.

Work on Thursday was busy and passed quickly, but we were there a bit later than usual clearing up the store. Another young colleague left tonight. I had no idea she was leaving. She's a hard worker and a lovely girl and will be missed. This probably goes some way to explaining why I've got more shifts in the next few weeks as the managers are still in the process of recruiting more staff and onboarding always takes a while.

On Friday, I had another lie in reading my book, before getting up and having breakfast. I took a look in the garden and was pleasantly surprised to see the foxgloves in our new border starting to flower. Here's a picture:

Considering the fact that we only created this border last year, when OH built the new shed, and I've virtually spent no money on plants, it's not looking too bad. I'm looking forward to really establishing it more over time.

After a late breakfast, I decided to go for a run. It was good to get out and feel the sunshine on my skin though. There's lots of family stuff going on in the background of our lives at the moment, which is quite stressful, so it's good to get out and try to clear your mind for an hour.

Later, I had to get ready and go to work. I got a surprise when I got there, as I'd been put on a section I hadn't worked in probably over a year. It was section I liked, but it is one that is large and hard work. I did my best and was busy tidying up and stocking up all night. 

I did need some help to get me over the finish line at the end of the night, but I sometimes think people expect a lot of a 58 year old woman. I don't like to use the age card, but I'm not as quick and fit as someone in their 20's, (i.e. most of the staff) and I'm on my knees, reaching up and down, etc. all night. It's just as well that I go to the gym and keep myself reasonably fit or I wouldn't last 10 minutes in the job. It made a nice change though, but I don't think I'll necessarily get the chance to do it again, unless they're really stuck for someone.

On Saturday morning, I went to the free gym session as usual, which was good. I wasn't working on Saturday, so could enjoy the whole day at home. I met OH at the allotment when I got back, met a new plotholder and did some weeding on our paths and plot. Everything is now planted up. We're harvesting strawberries, but nothing else as yet.

In the afternoon, OH resumed work on the patio cutting and laying the bricks along the edges. We also took out the compost bin, so that he could brick underneath it. Whilst OH worked on the patio edgings, I weeded the borders and emptied most of the compost from the bin onto them. Afterwhich, I sprayed the borders with clove water, which I understand cats dislike, in an attempt to discourage them from using the borders as a litter tray, which is still an issue. Time will tell if it works.

We ended the evening, catching up on this week's episode of Race Across the World before falling into bed shattered at the end of another week.

A Week of Getting Back to Normal - W/E 17th May 2025

It's been a week of getting back to normal here after our visit to Yorkshire last week. I slept really well on Saturday night, as a result of being back in my own bed, which was just as well as I was working on Sunday from 12 til 6pm.  Work was busy and I found out that our Store Manager is moving on to another store imminently. Our store is also currently recruiting for more staff, so there will be new faces will starting soon.

On Monday, it was weekly shop day as usual. I went a bit further afield than normal today, in order to visit an IKEA store. I wanted to buy one of their large bathmats, which are bigger than any I can find in other stores.  They are more expensive though. I bought just one, but there wasn't really a good choice of colours, just two, so I went for a dark green one.

I then did the grocery shop, including buying a few consumables for OH's birthday next week. I dropped into my regular charity shop on the way home, but didn't find anything I liked, which is unusual.

On Tuesday, I went to my usual class at the gym. It was a bit different as someone was covering for the teacher who was away. I found the class enjoyable enough, but we didn't really use the weights much. Sometimes it's good to have a change of teacher to mix things up a bit.

Later, after lunch, I got ready and went to my sewing class. This week felt much more productive as I spent the whole class working on my dungaree dress and made quite a bit of progress using the double needle. It was interesting to use it.

On Wednesday, I was at college from 9am till 2.30pm. It was quite intense, as we were learning a lot of detailed theory, which we need for an exam in a few weeks time. The exam is multiple choice, but it will still require quite a lot of study. We also did a bit of practical work towards the end of the day, which was interesting.

I had to rush home and get ready for work after college. Work was busy and actually fairly enjoyable as it passed very quickly. I'm now not working again until Sunday.

It was lovely to have a day off on Thursday. The morning was spent with OH visiting a building supply company in Hertfordshire trying to find some bricks to match the ones he'd used on the patio. We did find some that matched quite well and the supplier was happy to divide a pallet so we could buy just what we needed which was good. We also dropped into an Aldi for a few bits and OH bought me a couple of Salvias for the new border, which still has a few gaps. They were great value at £2.99 each for a good sized pot.

By the time we'd got home and I'd had lunch, I was feeling very tired and decided to head to bed for a nap. I needed it after a very busy few days. I had to wait until next door's builders finished working though as they are quite noisy and chat loudly.

On Friday, I started the day with a 3km run. Our local 5km run is on Saturday, but I decided not to enter this year, as I don't really enjoy running in events and prefer a 3km distance, as opposed to 5km. On my cool down, I came across a table full of stuff that someone was giving away for free, so picked up a few terracotta pots and saucers which I'm sure I can make use of. I collected a prescription from the pharmacy on the way back from my run, which increased my steps a little, which is all good, I also picked up this cute cast iron planter outside another house. It is pretty heavy, but I like it's aged patina. I later filled it with some nasturtium seedlings, once I'd brushed it out.

The bricks that we'd ordered on Thursday were delivered today, so I carried some of them through the house to the back garden before lunch, which gave me a bit of extra exercise.

In the afternoon, I headed to our local mall, to visit the bank to deposit a cheque. It's not so easy to find a bank where you can deposit these days and this was the closest one to where I live. Whilst at the mall, I decided to take a look in Primark and then ended up buying a few things that caught my eye. I am a bit short of clothes that fit well at the moment, after putting a bit of weight back on. I just feel like I need a few more choices. I've always got some excuse haven't I? I will include them in my monthly clothing purchase blog post.

When I got back from the mall, OH had moved the rest of the bricks into the garden. We then went out on our bikes to run an errand and dropped into the allotment on the way back to water it. Everything is growing really well, which is good news.

Saturday began with a free gym session, as these had recommenced last week whilst we were away. It did feel good to get back in the gym. 

When I got home, I pottered in the garden for a bit, as it was a lovely sunny day. I cleaned a few bird feeders and did a bit of deadheading here and there. OH resumed work on the patio mixing in the new bricks and continuing down the garden.

After lunch, I headed up to the sewing room to do a bit of work on my dungaree dress before returning to class on Tuesday. I did a bit of machine sewing and then took some unpicking and basteing down to the garden and sat on the bench doing it in the sunshine as OH worked. It made a nice change to actually sit in our garden for once.

Later, I made supper and then resumed sewing on my machine, making the straps for my dungaree dress. These were a little tricky, as I had to make them the correct width for the fixings and made them from left over bits of the fabric, which I had to piece together carefully, but I did it and added the fixings ready for them to be sewn onto the dress in class. I also basted the sides and tried the dress on and it seemed to fit well which was good. I can't wait to get it finished so that I can wear it. I should be able to just about finish it in class next week, save for hemming it, which I can do at home, and attaching the buttons. I will then be able to start work proper on the floral dress that I originally intended to make at class.

By the time I'd finished, OH had finished work for the day on the brick patio. Here's a picture:

There is still a bit of work to do on the sides and step and it needs fine sand putting inbetween the bricks, but this will be a job for another day. We were both happy with how the new bricks blended in and this was OH's first attempt at building a brick patio, so I think he did really well. It would have cost a lot more to pay someone to do it for us.

As a consequence of the above, Saturday felt like a productive end to another busy week. I'm hoping that next week will be a little less busy and I'll get chance to do some studying.

Another Busy Week - W/E 10th May 2025

This week started with a full day shift at work on Sunday. I was due to start at 11am and finish at 6pm. It was a super busy shift and passed really quickly, which I'm always grateful for. 

Whilst I was at work, OH was home working in the garden all day.  By the time I got home he'd made a really good start on our new brick patio. Here's a picture from upstairs in the house of his progress:

It was lovely to come home and see how far he'd got with it, but we need more bricks now before he can make any further progress and if we can't get the amount we need, we might have to redesign it a bit to make better use of the bricks we have. This might include widening one of the borders and creating planting pockets in the brickwork. We'll just have to wait and see.

I ordered a new shredder when I got home from work as after a bit of investigation as to whether the fuse had blown, we came to the conclusion that it had in fact gone kaput. I didn't opt for the cross cut, which was probably a bit short sighted, and instead went for a strip cut one, which was the cheapest one I could get and was £19. It will be fine for what I need. I intended to collect it the next day when I did the weekly shop.

On Bank Holiday Monday, OH was heading off cycling to Brighton for most of the day. I needed to do the weekly shop, as I don't have time later in the week now. I wouldn't normally ever shop on a Bank Holiday Weekend as it gets too busy, but needs must. I made sure to set off early around 9am to try to avoid most of the traffic and crowds and I was back a couple of hours later, all done. I managed to save over £10 on my shop with a 10% off voucher which was good. I picked up the shredder and used it when I got home, but it packed up on me more or less instantly. Things are just not made well these days. I don't know if I can get a refund, but I guess I need to try. Very disappointing.

Later, I got ready and went to work for the evening. It was another busy shift, but we did get away a bit earlier on this occasion.

On Tuesday, I was on my way to my usual class when I received a message to say it was cancelled, so I booked a gym session instead. It was super busy in the gym though, but I worked out for an hour and then headed home.

I was due at my sewing class later in the afternoon. It was good. We did some samples of different pockets for clothing, which was quite tricky if I'm honest and then I did a very small amount of work on my dungaree dress project, which I've decided to do whilst on the course, as the machines there can do the double stitch that you get on jeans and denim. It's quite exciting to learn how to do something totally new to me.

After the course, which takes place in a library, I took a look at some of the craft books they had to loan out and picked a couple to take out and bring home with me. There weren't too many about sewing sadly, but the two I got are about sustainable fashion which are interesting. I started reading one of them on the bus journey home.

When I got in, whilst making supper, I did one of my homework tasks for college the next day. Hopefully, I've done what the tutor required me to do.

On Wednesday morning I was up early to get ready to go into college. We were starting earlier this week, so it was a bit of a rush to get out on time. The course was interesting today, as we did some classroom work, followed by some practical work, both of which were very informative. By the time I'd finished for the day, I had a much better understanding of what was expected of me on this course and could start to work towards some of the assessments.

I did a gym session in the afternoon, which I enjoyed, trying a few new exercises for me, which was good.

When I got home, I did some work on one of the assessments for college. It's only an initial draught, but at least it's progress. I may need to make changes, but hopefully it's one less thing to do over the next few weeks.

By the time I'd done that I was tired and decided to just chill for the rest of the evening and watch Race Across the World.

OH managed to find a company today, that could possibly sell us the remaining bricks we need for the patio. They are based not too far from London too, so hopefully we will be able to see if they have a good match for the one's we're using, as the company we bought these from will only sell us another 600 bricks and we only need 100 or so. It's a bit of a setback and it might be a week or so before we get what we need to continue with the project, but at least there's hope on the horizon that we can find the right match.

On Thursday morning, I decided to go for a run, as we were heading up to Yorkshire in the afternoon, to visit family and OH's brother who is still in hospital after having suffered a severe stroke. It was good timing really, as next door's builders were starting to build the wall of their side return extension and were taking down the fence, so it suited us not to be there whilst they were doing this. 

The journey up to Yorkshire went okay, not too much traffic, but we didn't arrive until 6pm, so had something to eat and then headed out to a local hotel for a drink. We were staying at OH's mum's house for the first time in a good few years, since before OH's dad had his stroke.

On Friday, we had a busy day. OH needed to take his mum into town in the morning to the bank, so he dropped me off at Boyes for my usual mooch around.  There were a couple of things I was running low on and needed to buy and I have to admit a few other things got put in my basket. 

We met up with my sister for lunch at a local cafe, which was very nice and had a good chat and catch up with her and then we headed to the hospital to visit OH's brother. It was my first visit since his stroke, and I was pleased to see that he looked reasonably well, although he still has lots of issues that need addressing over time, if possible. We had a good chat to him, as there were no other visitors there at the time and stayed for the remainder of the afternoon visiting hours. It must be very difficult for him to adjust to his new health situation. All we can do is offer support.

We then headed back to OH's mum's for supper and spent the rest of the evening with her watching TV.

On Saturday, we were heading back to London, as I was working on Sunday and needed to get back, so it was a short visit, but we did everything we needed to in the time we had. Luckily, the journey back was good too, with no hold ups or traffic.  When we got home, we desperately needed to water the garden, as some of the lettuce seedlings were looking worse for wear. Hopefully, we won't lose too many of them. We then unpacked and headed to the allotment to water there. There were quite a few of the plotholders there today, so we had a chat to them before heading off to collect some comfrey leaves locally to make some natural fertiliser before returning home.

It was lovely to then spend a quiet evening in our own home, to chill and prepare for the week ahead after what's been another very busy week. I'm hoping that this coming week will be a little more chilled, especially now I'm starting to get used to my new slightly busier routine.

I hope you had a good week and enjoyed some sunshine.

April Clothing Purchases

I had a spendy month again this month, with regard to buying clothing, despite being on a tight budget.

The first item I bought was a shirt to wear for work. It cost £2 from the charity shop. I will probably need to wear a vest underneath, as it is quite sheer, but it will be okay to wear in the summer as it is nice and light.

I also dug a couple of work tops out of the donation bag and decided to keep them and continue to wear them over the summer, as I'd struggled to find any suitable work tops at the beginning of the month.

The second item I bought this month was also a charity shop buy. It was this denim dungaree dress, which cost £10.50. Despite being labelled XL, when it came to trying it on, it was more like a 10/12 and was tight. Nevertheless, I'm hanging onto it, as I really like the design and the length and I'm going to try to make a larger dress from it by creating my own pattern, as the construction looks very simple. There is, of course, always the chance that I might lose some weight this summer and get into it more comfortably, but then pigs might fly too.

I was a bit indulgent and succumbed to a new purchase, namely this denim jacket. I like the light coloured denim, the pockets and the Nehru collar and it should be a great lighter jacket for wearing this spring/summer. I paid £22.49 for it. This is a lot for me to spend on one item of clothing, but I do like it and I know it will be my go to jacket when I need one this summer, so I'm not going to beat myself up over it.

A visit to the Car Boot sale over the Easter weekend resulted in my buying 3 tops for work in the summer. The first was this lace sleeved t-shirt from ASOS for £2. I think it was new.

I then bought this black lace top for £1. This is another top that I'll need to wear a vest under, but I quite liked it and for £1 it was worth a try.

Finally, I bought this top for £2 which will be a good option for work in the summer months, as it's qutie loose and cool.

I also bought this black canvas jacket by ASOS for £4 at the Car Boot sale. This was probably not a good purchase as it is quite large, but it might be good for throwing on in some circumstances. If I'd bought it from a charity shop, I would probably take it back, but as it was a car boot buy, I can't. I may just donate it at some point, but I'll give it a chance first.

I then made one last visit to the charity shop before the month ended and spent £11 on three items including this animal print top from Mint Velvet for £3

another black top for work for £3

and finally I bought this floral dress for £5, which may be a good option for a family wedding next year. It looks red in this photo but is actually orange, which is not something I would normally go for, but I liked it.

That concluded all of my clothing buys. There were quite a few, I have to admit. In total, I spent £55 on clothing, which was quite a lot, especially considering I was on a tight budget, but I did get quite a few nice pieces and some essentials for work, so I don't regret it.

In addition, I also bought some fabric to make a dress, so I will include this here, as I technically did spend it to create an item of clothing. I bought 4 metres of this pretty floral fabric, which cost £12 and was given an extra metre which had already been cut for free. I hope to show you the results of my efforts, once I've made the dress with the help of my tutor at weekly sewing classes that I started last week

I definitely hit my remit of finding some tops for work this month. I don't think I need anymore for the foreseeable, but it is good to have a few that I like to choose from. I don't really need any clothes going forward, but that won't preclude me from buying something I like if I see it in the charity shop, but I'm hoping to spend less on clothing next month as I really just don't have the wardrobe space.