A week of shirts and blouses

 Monday's outfit - Day 1 - Shirt/blouse challenge

I spent £2.75 in Save the Children on Monday: a shirt for my grandson, a ring (see below) and a small  leather purse to fit in my rucksack when I'm out walking. 

 Everything is charity shopped except the boots (Sainsbury's) and earrings (e bay).

I finally tidied my bookshelves by taking all the stray books lying on top of the vertical rows and stacking them on the floor under the bottom bookshelf. Once I've finished my most recent library book I'll start reading my way through the floor dwelling books until they are gone...that's the plan anyway, and it should work as long as I don't buy any more books!

Shirt, Charles Tyrwhitt and bought in Cambridge Cancer Research last year for £5.00. Charles Tyrwhitt shirts have been around since 1986 and like the shirt from the shirtmaker in Tuesday's outfit, both companies are based in Jermyn Street, London.  The pinafore dress is from New Look; can't remember which charity shop I bought it from. All other jewellery charity shopped.

I thought I might be starting at the Bedford Guildhouse this Tuesday but it will be 10th January; also I start at the Red Cross on 9th January.  New Year, new beginnings!

 For once I had free day on a Tuesday so I put it to good use and finished my Christmas shopping!

Day 2 - Shirt/blouse challenge

As you can see I do love my Sainsbury's boots! Note the white flower ring bought yesterday...

All clothing charity shopped.

This is the M&S skirt I bought last week in Barnardo's. It has a leather trim at the waist and on the faux pockets. It's wool, so it was nice and warm.   Purple tights, charity shopped somewhere. This lilac, purple, pink and blue shirt is by TM Lewin and on their website it says:

The first T.M.Lewin opened in Jermyn Street in 1898. This bustling London Street soon became a magnet for the world’s finest tailors and Mr. Thomas Mayes Lewin was among the industry’s original innovators. A hundred years ago, shirts didn’t have buttons down the front. T.M.Lewin’s ‘coat-shirts’ were not only pioneering, they are a prototype of the modern shirt worn today.

Who knew?

  Both the shirt and the purple cardigan, came from the Red Cross shop.

Necklace bought by OH in charity shop, bangle, watch, earrings and brooch all charity shopped.

I didn't manage a shirt/blouse on Wednesday as I went walking in the morning with the Ramblers. 6.5 miles from the village of Southill to Broom and back to Southill; followed by our annual Christmas meal. I changed, with great difficulty in the car, from walking gear into a pair of trousers and a tunic.

The trick is to wear a pair of leggings under the walking trousers and a vest underneath the top; then take one off at a time and slip on the replacement garments. Of course I changed out of muddy boots,  gaiters and walking socks first into a pair of black boots!

These are my steel pan  earrings from Trinidad - bought for me by OH when he was en route for Jamaica  many years ago and had a stopover.

Velvet trousers, Debenhams. Tunic, charity shopped, boots donated by my daughter. Necklace, watch and bangles charity shopped.

Day 3 - Shirt/blouse challenge

I think you might describe this as a blouse rather than a shirt. I have to confess I don't know what the difference is between a shirt and a blouse - they can both have buttons, for example. This one is from La Redoute, bought in a sale, and this is the first time I've ever worn it.  I wore this sparkly bling to accompany Sheila; you can find her fabulous blog; 'Ephemera' here. She's doing a week of sparkly outfits!

I don't have much in the way of sparkly clothes but I do have some sparkly jewellery. The earrings are from ebay; 99p and the necklace bought locally.

Waistcoat, Zara. Trousers, Topshop; headscarf, and boots from Italy, all charity shopped. I don't like these trousers anymore; off to the charity shop bag for them.

On Thursday OH had a rare day off so we went to Stony Stratford just outside Milton Keynes. We looked around the charity shops. Did I buy anything? Yes. I bought two necklaces for a £1.00 each, two padded hangers (you can never have too many of these) a felt Merry Christmas banner for 50p and a pair of Red Herring jeans for grandson; £2.50. Did I buy any clothes for me? No! It was supposed to be a week of abstention so I abstained. Total spend £6.00.

Day 4 - Shirt/blouse challenge

This is a pretty cheapskate outfit; everything is charity shopped except the boots which are the latest addition to my wardrobe of daughter donated boots (DDB).

The trousers are Next maternity ones (sale rail £1.00 somewhere) which although very comfortable, tend to fall down around my hips. I  have a tummy but not a pregnant one so this will be going into the charity shop bag. The shirt is from M&S bought at the Red Cross £1.99; top 50p rail in one of the charity shops in Royston some months ago. I bought 3 x 50p tops there and have worn all of them now. Cost of outfit £3.49!

Necklace was a £1.00 from Keech Hospice shop last week and all other jewellery is charity shopped except the teal ring from Sainsbury's.

Day 5 - Shirt /blouse challenge

My week of abstention was up so I visited my two favourite charity shops in the town on Saturday morning. In the 3:16 shop I bought a chambray tunic for £1.75; an animal print beret from Next - never worn, these two silver containers below, in which I will put flowers and a couple of other bits all for a donation of a couple of quid.

At the Red Cross shop I bought a brown velvet jacket to replace the one I put in the charity shop bag some months ago as the arms were too tight on me; I bought a pair of jeans and a nice casual jacket for one of the grandsons - all £1.99 each.  Total £5.97 + £3.75 from the 3:16 shop + £6.00 spend on Thursday on Stony Stratford = £14.72. Quite restrained by my standards!

After my little splurge I went for a short walk of 4.5 miles around our local area, and on the way back I spotted this on a street I rarely walk:

We have three other blue plaques that I know of in Bedford but I didn't know about this one.

Everything charity shopped except the boots - Xmas present from daughter about 4 years ago

Trousers, Tu from the Hospice shop in Kempston; denim shirt and grey knitted top charity shopped but can't remember where. I love denim shirts and have 3 in my wardrobe - all slightly different.
Can you see my new watch? It's from Next and is a very tiny rectangle. I love tiny watches but I don't know why I bother with them, as unless I've got my glasses on, I can't see the watch face!

All jewellery charity shopped except for the blue ring.

I have also been getting rid of items from my wardrobe this week; so far the count is 3 cardigans, a small bag of jewellery - mostly earrings, a handbag, 2 pairs of trousers, 3 pairs of skinny jeans - I've gone right off them - and 1 dress. 9 items plus 1 handbag out, 3 items in. That's more like it!

I've got a busy week next week but my plan for outfits is for a week of tunics. The following week, the only thing I can come up with, is a week of maxis. I'm enjoying doing these challenges as I'm getting to wear more of the clothes in my wardrobe and it's helping me make decisions about what to discard and what to keep.

If I don't post again before Christmas I wish you all a peaceful and blessed holiday.

xxxx