Mary Plethora Blogs

Would you look at that. It didn’t even take me 24 hours to come up with more to say about capsule wardrobes. I tend to get a bit obsessive at times, and right now I’m definitely feeling it for this topic. But nevertheless, I felt like writing about it, so today I’m going to tell you about something new I realised today and some more things I’m on the lookout for. 

First to the realisation. I’m starting to think that a big reason I don’t really get on with the traditional 4 capsules a-la 3 months system is that most of my items are relevant year round. Yes, obviously there are a couple that will get either more and more or less and less use as we move towards summer or winter, but mostly all my items can be worn year-round. How did I realise this? Well, as the accounting student I am, I made a spreadsheet. I know, how extremely nerdy of me. Anyway, the reason that my items work year-round is that I am an absolute layering-wiz. A layer of wool under a summer dress with longer sleeves? Sure! Woollen cardigan and fleece tights? You bet! 

Most of my items (this goes mostly for tops, my bottoms are just year-round anyway) are actually quite summery when it comes to fabric, but with said layering they can easily transition into any season. Also, because my colour palette barely changes through the year (it’s pretty much all neutrals), there are very few pieces that I wouldn’t wear in the cooler months because of that element. 

I’m definitely going to reflect a bit more on the topic of what I would be interested in actually switching around in my wardrobe in a 2 capsule system, based on this new realisation. But now, on to the topic of shiny new things!

In the post from yesterday I shared my current wishlist, and since then I’ve added a couple of things. However, they’re not new things per say. They are replacements for things that I already own, but that really need a replacement. 

Firstly, I need a new belt. I own precisely one belt, a pretty nondescript black number, and it is slowly falling apart. I don’t use it a tonne, but I feel like you need at least one belt in your life, because it’s just not a thing you want to not have if you need it. 

Secondly, I have a white somewhat oversized cardigan that quite frankly was looking tatty when I bought it in a charity shop four years ago. At this point it is a bit of a disgrace and it has chocolate stains at the cuffs of the sleeves that even after a good five washes aren’t coming out.

Thirdly, my heeled ankle boots that I’ve been unfailingly faithful to for the past year are so run into the ground that the heel isn’t even close to flat anymore. The bottom of the heel is literally rounded. I think I walk weirdly, ok? Anyway, it’s a situation for sure, and they need to go.

Fourthly, I could do with some new thin tights. I get a tonne of use out of all my tights, but the ones I have currently are as all the other things on this list looking a tad too tatty for it to be appropriate anymore. 

And that’s it! My new, extended shopping list, ready for me to browse the internet and be unable to decide on any one item for the next three months!

Until next time,

Hey hi hello again! Long time, no see. Let’s do an update on the capsule wardrobe, shall we? I am loving that that rhymed, I’m a sucker for rhymes.

So in my previous post about my capsule wardrobe, I wrote about the revelation I had; that i can put things away! The shock. Well, I’m going with that. Running with the ideas that a) I don’t necessarily have to get rid of the things that aren’t in my capsule and b) I am allowed to wear things that aren’t in my capsule if necessary. This has me feeling a whole load happier about the clothes sitch (why do I always feel like Kim Possible when I use that word?)

I split my time between two places that are equally random when it comes to weather. Thus I’ve always been hesitant about fully delving into the full on capsule wardrobe thing where you do it for three months at the time. Who am I to say what kind of weather we’ll have in the next three months? I’m still hesitant about this, but allowing myself a bit more freedom has definitely made me less so. So what if we end up suddenly getting some super hot days in April and my spring capsule is not at all equipped to handle it? I’ll just dig out my stored away summery items and incorporate them for that period. So what if the summer end up chilly af? I (being me) have an infinite backup supply of thick jumpers. Nothing wrong about getting them back out when necessary. 

This leniency has afforded me some much needed peace of mind. However, I’m still not completely sold on the 3 month thing. I think I for now prefer to just periodically (as in every now and then, whenever I feel like it) take a critical eye to my wardrobe and store anything that I’m not currently using, and maybe having a look through my stored items if I feel like something is missing. I also keep a list of things I would like to add to my wardrobe, but luckily for my finances I am incredibly lazy, so those things are usually on that list for a very extended period of time. However, this also allows me to reflect on them, which is good.

At the moment my wish list looks like this:

court shoes (black)

leather jacket (also black)

longchamp le pliage tote (in a size bigger than my current one)

cluse silver mesh watch

hoop earrings

necklace

The latter four items I’ll be putting on my wish list for my birthday in September, but all of the items are equally non-pressing. I am perfectly content with my wardrobe at the moment, and other than the things on the list (which are definitely more ‘it would be nice to have’, rather than ‘i need’) I can’t really think of anything I’d want to go out and buy. 

My more fluid adaption of the capsule wardrobe also works better with the fact that I move back and forth to the UK in the middle of seasons, and that I dress quite differently in the UK and in Norway. I wouldn’t be sure how to make that work with a more rigidly traditional 4 season capsule wardrobe. An alternative I maybe would be interested in looking into (especially if I permanently move to the UK after finishing university next year whelp) is a 2 season capsule wardrobe. I mostly operate on a cold vs warm system, where mid winter and mid summer are the middles and the changes happen somewhere in-between. However, it’s mostly a feelings thing, not necessarily a temperature thing. At some point I just decide that “nope, I don’t fancy wearing fleece tights and my wool cardigan anymore”, even if the temperature hasn’t changed much. I might go back on it for a period or just a couple of days, but after that I have certain items that I just about don’t touch. So maybe I’ll give that a go, giving my wardrobe a throughout assessment when I hit those changes this coming year. 

Now this is turning into a very lengthy post, and I am starting to see what my mum meant when she told me “For someone who has as few clothes as you do, you sure think a lot about clothes!” 

Until next time,

Any of those of you who are even vaguely familiar with me knows that I love to organise. I’m a virgo, unsurprisingly, and ever since I can remember I’ve been fond of having my ducks in a row. However, an area I’ve never really gotten this done in is my wardrobe. 

Up until as late as year 11 I’d say that my style was nonexistent. Since then it’s slowly been refining itself and I think at this point it might finally be called a style. Sure, it’s a bit separated into two separate ones, but let’s ignore that. Mostly I’ll either dress quite smartly or a little bit ‘hipstery’, if you can call it that. However, my wardrobe has still been a mess. And since I got back to the UK again after Christmas, I’ve been working hard on sorting it out and finally making it the way I want it. 

Every couple of days I’ve looked at my wardrobe and felt dissatisfied. Not with what I don’t have, but with what I have. I’ve seen things I haven’t worn for ages and things I have no desire to wear. Not to mention the fact that my wardrobe has been 90% jumpers that I don’t even wear out but that I need to keep warm in the flat. I’ve been getting rid of things left and right, being more and more harsh about what I actually keep. However, I’ve been having a bit of a problem.

You see, I’m a student. Mostly I just go to class, hang out in the library and sleep. For that, I know exactly what pieces I wear and not. Getting rid of everything else would be no trouble. Until I have a meeting, or work, or an interview, or go on a rare night out. I have special pieces that I’ll only wear for those occasions, that when paired with for example that black pair of jeans I wear to class, make a great outfit for the occasion. However, I don’t want those pieces in my wardrobe for every day. I don’t want them to distract me when trying to pick out an outfit for class, or make me feel bad that I don’t wear them enough. Today I found the solution.

Today I put all of those pieces, the ‘special occasion pieces’, in a drawer. That way they’re out of sight, out of mind, but still there. What I like about this is that they’re also separate. I know exactly where I find them and where to look for something for that occasion. It is astonishing that this didn’t occur to me before, but I think it’s mostly the fact that they’re not necessarily special pieces. Someone else could easily have worn them to class or paired them with an everyday outfit, but I can’t. It doesn’t fit with what I wear. I don’t want to wear them every day. So while for someone else they might not be occasion wear, they are for me. I think that’s why I never thought to put them away. Because I could have worn them to class, I just don’t want to. 

It’s been a long time since I last did this over multiple platforms, and I’d forgotten how long it takes. I haven’t even thought about updating the information in the description of my youtube videos yet, and still it has taken me all day. 

Graphics have to be made (oops still haven’t made an icon for this blog lol), themes have to be decided on (and by god did that take me HOURS this time), urls have to be changed, usernames have to be changed, links have to be changed, descriptions have to be updated, tags have to be updated, codes have to be updated. 

It’s all done now though. And it feels right. I like the idea of having all my social media be the same, and since this one contains my name (or at least almost) it isn’t something I’ll get tired of in the same way. And it sounds semi-professional (once I actually learn how to pronounce plethora). 

Maybe I’m not cut out for this whole blogging thing. The last post on this blog was from this summer. About mid August. Now it’s late December, and I’m not even sure if you can call this a blog post. However, it is a promise. A promise that I will keep trying my hand at blogging when I feel like it. A promise that I’ll keep up my presence on the internet. A promise not to disappear. 

It feels very weird to be writing this, but I’m going back to the UK soon. It’s officially less than two weeks until I’ll be heading back, and that feels like it just can’t be true.

You know when you’re looking forward to something so much that it just seems like it will never actually happen and you’ll be stuck in the limbo of waiting forever? Yeah, that’s been me this summer. When I came back for the summer I had no idea when I was going back to the UK, but it turns out I was going to be home for three months. That’s a long time when you’ve moved out. 

There are so many things I’m excited about. Four months of no school is too long, and I’m excited to get stuck into a new year, new modules and new routines. I’m excited to once again be living “alone” (as in without my parents, not actually alone) and completely be my own boss. And maybe most of all; since I found the flat I’ll be living in this (and hopefully at least also next) year, I’ve been thinking about decoration. I moved all my stuff in before going home for the summer, but by moving in I mean piled on the bed. Now it’s less than two weeks until I actually get to have a good look at the room, play around with furniture and decorate. I am beyond excited. 

it’s been all about aesthetic food

It’s always a good idea to lay some groundwork before a new semester starts, even if we’re just talking reading over the syllabus. It is one more thing you don’t have to do once the semester starts. To get you and your thoughts started, here are a four suggestions of how you can spend the summer getting a head start on the fall semester.

I definitely like to get crafty in the summer, because that’s when I have the most time. I thought some of you might be the same way, and therefore I put together this little collection of DIYs for you, from all over the internet. Obviously, the pictures belong to the owners, who are linked below. All credit to them. You should also check out all their blogs, not just the DIYs, because they are pretty fabulous! Now, get crafty!

As the summer is properly taking over Norway (two consecutive days of more than 20 degrees - HECK YES), I’m going harder on the cold drinks than ever. This delicious thing is a great way of getting both a refreshment and caffeine in one go. 

Have a mini-spa night with your friends

Have a movie marathon 

Pretend to be a tourist in your hometown

Get a puzzle and commit to doing the entire thing

Participate in Camp NaNoWriMo

Check out the local hikes and commit to trying them all

Start a tumblr, blog or youtube channel

Start doing yoga

Start a scrapbook

Try some DIYs

Get a colouring book and fill the entire thing

Start an online course

Prepare for the next semester

Get a job or volunteer somewhere

We all know the feeling. You walk out of the school building, throwing your papers in the air, singing What time’s it?! from High School Musical 2 and dreaming of all the amazing things you’re going to do this summer. However, the truth is that you most likely have some things you should do this summer that aren’t all fun. This often leads to the realisation that school is suddenly only a week away and you’ve gotten none of them done. 

So how do you prevent that? How can you make sure that you keep just a little bit of your productivity through summer break?

My first real memory of the IB, apart from stalking the tumblr tag, was 11:40 am the 12th of June 2013. Me and one of my now best friends arrived at the school library to pick up our IB textbooks, two months before my first year of IB started. I was so incredibly excited. 

Eight days ago I handed back the last piece of my IB equipment, my GDC, after my final IB exam. I still cannot believe it. The first memory is almost two years old and I have both finished and survived this infamous program. I have also enjoyed it immensely and learnt more than I ever thought possible, both in all my subject and about myself. 

That is what this post is about; sharing that knowledge.