Wish list

So we are definitely moving into winter. I spent sometime this weekend packing away my summer gear. Bye-bye beach wear, bikinis and flip flops I’ll see you again in the spring. I also packed away a few very light floaty tops as they are too loose to really go well with a jersey thrown over. Once that was done I pulled out all my winter stuff. My winter work wardrobe is now all long-sleeved shirts.

To be honest I am over a shirt at work. Yes they are formal and work appropriate but there has to be an alternative. I’ve looked online and seen a few tops that would work instead of shirts but am still limited by my no-buy self-imposed rule. This rule is starting to chafe again! I’ve had 9 months to pare down and decide what I wanted from my wardrobe and now that I kinda know I still have to wait. I have 5 long-sleeved shirts which I will wear in various combinations till August. Five doesn’t seem like that many so I am wondering if I can pull it off without becoming so bored of the shirt situation it depresses me. Since they are all shirts they are also very similar besides for the colour so I know I definitely want some more variety in silhouette once I can start buying again.

My wish list is getting longer by the day! Currently on it:

·         Navy Boyfriend blazer (somewhere btw formal and tuxedo style)

·         Navy cotton trousers (straight leg, full length)

·         Warm winter pyjamas (I’ve been keeping an eye out and have yet to see a pair that looks comfortable, is not pink and has no images of Snoopy or hello kitty!)

·         Pewter coloured flat walking shoes (similar to moccasins)

·         Textured pencil skirt, I am considering one in Jeans fabric as it seems more casual, although one in a funky pattern also seems cool, either way this is on hold till next summer

·         Grey cardigan, thick, warm for winter with a small pattern (animal print) or embellished slightly around the neckline

·         Maxi skirt, a jersey fabric, easy to wash, elasticated waist for maximum comfort (reckon this will also have to wait till summer). In Navy, grey or turquoise, possibly with pleats

·         Work tops – no shirts. I would like to try a few looser, less formal tops like blouses and tunics

·         Strand of pearls, long length and interspersed with silver chain

My list includes pictures and details of what exactly I am looking for so I know precisely what I want and can hopefully be less distracted/tempted by other random stuff when I finally do get out to the shops again. With my list growing it is important for me to focus on what is most important and not get carried away. I want to stick with the minimalism and curating a small wardrobe even once I can shop again. I still have 3 months left so I want to focus a bit more on work tops and fill out this area of my wardrobe since I currently find this section the most challenging. Everything else will have to wait, although I will keep an eye out for the blazer as I have a feeling it might be quite difficult to find.

A moment to reflect

Over the Easter holiday my husband and I took a moment to reflect. He is currently quite frustrated at work and needed a moment to put these emotions into perspective in order to decide whether it was a temporary issue and he would push through or whether it was time to consider moving on.

If he chose to move on he wasn’t even sure whether he wanted to stay in the same field. Maybe it’s time for something completely new. I understand his confusion. We are young, well-educated and the world is pretty much our oyster. He could get a job anywhere in the world and doing a vast array of different things. This leaves us with seemingly endless possibilities, a situation that is both daunting and exciting.

I have told him not to be scared if he wants to try something new. There are two of us now. I earn well enough to support us while he is finding his way. We could easily commit to a few years attempting something new and always revert back to what we are currently doing if it all fails. I guess I should add that it’s possible because we are in a situation where we don’t have many debts that need paying off and can stretch a single income if need be. I wanted to make clear to him that he was free to give things a try. Most people never take the plunge because of a fear of failure; I’m saying what the hell give it a go. Worst case you go back to what you know afterwards.

Minimalism on holiday

So I managed to fit everything for my 10 day trip into 1 small suitcase that I could carry onto the plane. Even my handbag fit into it.

What did I learn?

1.       Only pack tried and tested clothing. I had a pair of black pants, I remember the first time I wore them they were quite itchy but I kept them, washed them regularly and when I occasionally wore them again they were ok. However, when I wore them now to the expo I was in a situation where I was walking a lot more than usual and spent quite a bit of time in them. Oh my goodness did they chafe! Something in the material didn’t react well to my skin (despite being 98% cotton and 2% elastin). I was covered in red, itchy bumps. Needless to say I didn’t bother to bring them back with me.

2.       Packing light to suit all weather temperatures and fluctuations is not easy. I only took one jacket with me and while I was happy to have it most evenings it was too warm for during the day. I might need to man-up on future trips and take two jackets.

3.       Similar to 1, check out everything before packing it. I needed to pack some warmer cloths; most of mine had been in storage the last couple of months. I just grabbed a long sleeved T-shirt I haven’t actually worn since last winter only to discover that it was actually too small and did not fit well once I was on the other side.

All in all though I was happy I managed with so little and didn’t feel like I really missed anything. It is clearly possible to travel with less it just requires a little more thought beforehand. It made it easy for me to catch trains and wonder around with my suitcase. I also felt exceptionally smug while I was waiting on my boss since his suitcase had gotten delayed and misplaced.