Monthly Archives: February 2013

Sew Quick and Easy

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Yesterday I finally picked up my sewing machine from having it serviced, so today I decided to spend some time sewing.  Some of it has been quite challenging, a pleated skirt which is now too big for me.  I have completely disassembled it and am in the process of re-making the skirt but in the meantime it was good to start and finish a couple of simple projects.

First was a pair of boxer shorts for summer pyjamas for me.  These were from some material kindly given to me by a friend.

2013-02-17 01I teamed them with an existing tank top to make this set.

2013-02-17 02She also gave me a piece of flannelette with a cute teddy bear pattern that was just begging to become winter pyjama bottoms.

2013-02-17 03I did some mending, too.  This pair of shorts is about 12 years old and I wear them when painting or gardening.  The fabric is in good condition but the elastic had given way so I unpicked the waist and old elastic, replacing it with 2 rows of new 6mm elastic.

2013-02-17 04The shirt which was waiting to have the buttonholes done is also finished.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the skirt.

In the meantime, don’t forget to comment on this post and follow my blog for a chance to go in the draw for the mystery giveaway.

Fabulous 500

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When I published my post yesterday I was surprised to see on the sidebar that it was my 500th post.

500 times I have written something important to me, hit ‘publish’ and you, dear reader, have to taken the time to not only read it but often ‘like’ the post or add your comments.

It is a good time to reflect on what I have written and trawl through the archives.  Here are 5 posts that seem to have touched a chord for whatever reason.

Decluttering Meets Damask

Do You Really Need That?

Project 333 – Ready, Set, Go…

Friday Favourites – Mango & Avocado Salad

A Storage Solution

To celebrate the milestone of 500 posts I would like to offer a giveaway to a lucky reader.  It will be a surprise but if you would like to enter you will need to be a follower of this blog and leave a comment on this post.

To follow just click on the ‘Sign Me Up’ button on the right-hand side of the blog.  Entries are open to both Australian and international readers.

Entries will close at midnight Friday 22nd February (Brisbane time).  Once the winner has been drawn you will be contacted via email and/or a blog post to arrange delivery of your prize.

Good Luck!!

 

Transformed

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What a difference 75 minutes can make!  Yesterday I showed you my small bit of organising.  I had sorted the tangle of unironed clothes from earlier in the week into piles of shirts, skirts, t-shirts and so on.

2013-02-14 01This morning I caught the slightly later train so I decided to get as much of the ironing done as possible.  There is no doubt that, not only am I a ‘fowl’ (morning person), I do perform better when I am working to a deadline.  I knew that I had a window of 75 minutes, so naturally the challenge (in my head) was on to get as much done in the allotted time as possible. Here is the result.

2013-02-15 02 All I have left to do are the 3 pairs of trousers for The Duke which are on the left-hand end of the ironing board in the photo.

2011-07-10 02Because I use a steam iron and we live in an area of high humidity, I always hang the ironed clothes to air and dry thoroughly before putting them in the wardrobe. Ironing seems to be a universally hated task, however, I actually do not mind it – especially once I get started.  I find a great deal of satisfaction in having crisp, clean clothes hanging in the cupboard ready to wear. I know many people choose not to iron most of their clothes and some do not even own an iron.  That is not an option for me as both The Duke and I work in a corporate environment and almost all of our clothes are either 100% or primarily cotton/linen. There are stories of people who iron everything – including underwear and bed linen.  I think that may well be from a time when clothes dryers were not commonplace and it was a way of ensuring that everything was totally dry.  I do iron handkerchiefs, pillowcases, tablecloths , serviettes and teatowels which some would regard as extreme but I guess it is a matter of each to his own. What is your ironing story?

Small Steps

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During the week I do not have much time to do housework but some of the smallest things can make a difference.

I have managed to do 2 loads of washing since we arrived home on Sunday evening.  The folding is done and put away but I have not got near the clothes that need to be ironed.

2013-02-14 01Last night I quickly sorted out the pile which had been upended on the single bed in my sewing/ironing room into piles of similar items – The Duke’s business shirts in one pile, my skirts in another etc.  It now looks much more manageable and I plan to do at least some it tomorrow morning before I catch the slightly later train in the morning.

Do you have any tips and tricks that make a task seem less daunting (and look more organised in the meantime)?

Stop the Sabotage

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It occurred to me recently that many people are constantly sabotaging their own decluttering efforts.

Clutter

They are hauling garbags of ‘stuff’ to the op shop, filling the rubbish bin each week and trying to find time list items on eBay in a vain attempt to claw back some of the money they have spent on unwanted items.  Yet, these same people are often using every strategy possible to score a good deal on clothes, shoes, bedding, magazines, cosmetics and anything else that comes their way.  It is only a bargain if you truly need it.

Overflowing wardrobe

I feel that cheap or bargain-priced items are the nemesis of decluttering and minimalism.  If you need to outlay a significant amount of money on an item you are more likely to stop and think twice about whether it is really worthy of a place in your home.

Utensil drawer

So, how do you resist the plethora of bargains?

Top drawer

  • Unsubscribe from all of the emails from shops and shopping sites – this is a continuous process and you need to be vigilant
  • Make sure you have a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker on your letterbox
  • Do not buy magazines
  • Do not buy newspapers
  • Limit viewing of commercial television
  • Deactivate your eBay account
  • Set financial goals that require you to limit your discretionary spending in order to achieve them
  • Remember that shopping malls are not entertainment venues
  • Take things to the op shop – do not bring more stuff home
  • Shop with a list (and stick to it)
  • Send someone else to do your essential shopping
  • Buy 1 or 2 good quality items instead of 10 cheap versions – t-shirts are a perfect example

Op shops

Do you have any other ideas for keeping the clutter at bay and the money in the wallet?

 

The Important Stuff

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A decluttered house?  Meals planned?  Clothes washed?

Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of what is really important in our lives.  While it is great to be able to meet physical achievements the things that matter most to me are relationships – my friends and family.  This has been brought to the forefront of my consciousness recently.

We were able to spend the weekend with Missy in Melbourne which was wonderful.  Yesterday I listened while Micky shared some of the challenges she is facing at work.  ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’ or so the saying goes.

Finally, tonight the telephone rang as I was about to begin preparing dinner.  The sound of the voice of an old friend ensured that dinner was the last thing on my mind for the next 30 minutes while we chatted and the time spent apart just fell away.  When I hung up and walked back to the kitchen I realised how refreshed I felt.

I am thankful for the close and meaningful relationships I have with friends and family and cherish them everyday.

Project 333 – Clothes Shopping

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One of the things I did while I was in Melbourne was to buy some new clothes.  I bought 3 skirts, 2 dresses and a jacket but they were not just random pieces.  Each had to earn its place in my wardrobe and be able to be worn in a variety of ways.

Here is one of the skirts.

2013-02-11 01I wore it to work today with an existing black top.

2013-02-11 02These are the dresses I bought.  They are the same style and can both be worn with the red jacket I bought.  I also have a black cardigan and a pink cardigan as well as a black jacket so there will be several options.

2013-02-11 03I will show you some of the other items another day.

On the weekend, I hope to have time to go through my wardrobe and decide what I need move out.  I am definitely getting closer to having a selection of clothes that I love, fit me well and can be worn in a variety of ways.  I prefer to have a small number of quality pieces than a cupboard bursting at the seams with ‘bargains’.

No Place Like Home

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We have been away for a few days in Melbourne.  It was a lovely break and we stayed with our daughter.  Our activities can be summed up in a few words – shopping (clothes and shoes), eating and sightseeing.

Both The Duke and I bought clothes and shoes that we needed.  Some of it is to replace existing items in our wardrobes that have seen better days.  I will do a separate post soon about the clothes and how they will fit in with my existing clothes.

Missy took us out to dinner last night at the Woodlands Hotel which was really lovely and today we caught up for lunch with other family and friends.

Yesterday we went to the Immigration Museum and saw the most interesting exhibition, “Leaving Dublin” which is a photographic essay of the current wave of people leaving Dublin as a result of the economic downturn.

As the saying goes, ‘there really is no place like home’ and now I need to unpack and put a load of washing in the machine, make our lunches and plan what I am going to wear tomorrow.

Project 333 – A Perfect Fit

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I have been continuing my quest to own only clothes that I truly love and wear regularly.

When I first became involved in Project 333 in April 2012 I took 4 items out of my wardrobe that did not fit me.  I was not prepared to get rid of the clothes at that time as they were almost brand new and I was not ready to let them go.

Fast forward to July 2012 and I decided to embark on a grain free, gluten free diet for health reasons.  Coincidentally, I have lost 8kg in 6 months.

In October I tried on the skirt and decided that it was never going to suit me whatever size I was, so that went to the op shop.  There was a pair of white linen 3/4 trousers which 6 months earlier had not been even a glimmer of hope of zipping them up yet now they fitted.

2013-02-06 01Tonight I decided to check the other 2 items in the bag.  They are cotton drill jackets – one red and one a dark charcoal in an identical style.  They now are also suitable to wear so will be added back to my wardrobe as the weather cools down over the next few months.

2013-02-06 02It is just as well that I had these additions because there is going to be some more culling of the wardrobe contents before long.  There are several pairs of 3/4 trousers which are really much too loose and now are quite unflattering.  Some of my skirts are also rather loose.

I am trying to think carefully about what new items I might buy and make sure that they fit with the existing pieces in my wardrobe.  We will be in Melbourne this weekend so I am hoping to find some trousers that will be suitable for winter here.  I will also look out for anything else that is on my wanted list.

Chasing My Tail

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It does not take much to get the organisation out of sync.

On the weekend I spent most of the time outdoors.  I was helping The Duke with the fencing and my hands and legs bear testament to having done battle with the wire.

Fence-building

So, naturally the the jobs which I normally do on the weekends were neglected.  I still cooked meals but the kitchen was not properly tidied.

Dinner

The washing was done but not the ironing. Ironing board

Floors were swept but not mopped.

Floor

I made a concerted effort last night and this morning and have mostly caught up.  Now I need to give some thought to packing as we are going to Melbourne for a few days.  There may be a couple of gaps between posts while I get on with my ‘real’ life but I will be back on track soon.