oh no!

Sam is getting married.  In February.  And there's a partner-of-the-father-of-the-bride size hole in my wardrobe.  And funnily enough, it's annoying me that I will have to find something rather than seeing it as a window of opportunity to break my no clothes for a year commitment.  Several friends, bless them, have offered to lend me something, sort of overlooking the elephant in the room which is that I am at least three dress sizes bigger than any one of them.  I've resolved to get my outfit from a charity shop, it's the least compromise I can manage.  First, I looked at hire sites and was horrified at what the mother of the bride (there wasn't a more appropriate category) is expected to hire.  Outfits in shiny satin which would make me feel so uncomfortable.  Poor Chris, he's dreading having to wear a hire penguin suit.  We are both so much jeans and jumpers dressers.  I'm kind of burying my head in the sand right now but know that I will have to start the charity shop trawl soon and that means travelling to posher places and I know I won't be able to find what I would normally have fun shopping to buy.  Misery!

Burning with desire?

Used my new burning bin for the first time today.  It was very windy and the smoke rushed out of the little chimney very satsfactorily.  I burnt three more store cards, old credit agreements and bank statements.  There is a nice pile of ash for the compost now.  I must get a life - this was the highlight of the day...

Cutting the cards

It's a bit miserable really, and only 10 days in - will it get easier?  Today I cut up three store cards, threw the lovely new shiny catalogues in the recycling, unopened and decided that the allotment will be the recipient of my thwarted shopping energies.  Only the allotment won't be ready till next year...what's an addict to do?

Wobbling a bit

We are discussing a winter holiday to celebrate Chris' 70th birthday and I'm thinking of my old,patched shorts.  It would be my default reaction to buy lots of new clothes.  Also, my friend who is an agent for those lovely Neals Yard organic beauty products keeps offering me 20% off.  It's difficult.  On top of that, I'm enduring one of my periodic cycles to lose weight so am feeling extra deprived. Ouch!

October 1st at last

Well, here we are.  Jane and I have exchanged emails about our last minute online shopping but I have the security of two parcels to arrive next week which will hold off the panic for a while.  Now it's  the reality of buying no clothes, or body and beauty products (my extra commitment) for a year.  I'm expecting  the hardest point will be from next spring onwards when the new season clothes arrive and I unpack my summer stuff to discover half of it is no longer desirable, or fits.    This means I also won't be able to gain weight.  I tore my shorts when cycling this week, and there are no summer shorts in the shops now so I mended them.  Chris says I will look like Orphan Annie...we'll see.