Some people count sheep when they can’t get to sleep. I plan outfits. In fact, I’d go as far as to say, that I do my best outfit planning when I can’t sleep.

Often, I can look at what another woman is wearing and tell you where some of the pieces are from (I’m especially good at shoes). I’m kind of a walking encyclopedia of stock really. It’s a useless talent, but I’m convinced that one day my “special gift” will come in handy for something. One day.

I have so many online shopping deliveries that, not only am I on first name terms with the delivery guy, I know his kids names, his hobbies, plans for the weekend, his hopes for the future……

The other day, I was thinking about how I got to the point where I actually dream about clothes and I can honestly say it’s my mum’s fault. (Everyone loves to blame their parents, but in my case it’s true).

She talked a lot you see. Well, to tell the whole story, she was a seamstress who talked a lot. When I was little, we spent a lot of time in various haberdasheries buying fabric, zips, cotton, buttons etc. and my mum spent an even larger amount of time talking to the shop assistants. So basically, I started to look at the pattern catalogues because I was bored, and I had to look for a long time, because my mum could talk for England.

But it got to the point, where I wanted to see the new pattern catalogues when they came out. When I was older still, I would get my mum to buy the patterns and material and make them for me. Like she didn’t have enough to do. But, in my defence, it was kinda her fault in the first place.

So this blog is dedicated to two people, my mum, who if she had been a different sort of person, it would have meant I never developed this first love, and to my sister, who has been on at me for years, and I’m not exaggerating, I do literally mean years, to get off my arse and write this.