Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Bonjour


Bonjour chic friends! I’ve so enjoyed my month ‘almost’ away from technology and would heartily recommend it to anyone wishing to regain some equilibrium. I did check email and bank accounts daily, and had the occasional blog read, but just knowing I didn’t have any commitments was wonderful and so calming.

Of course I wasn’t sitting on a poolside lounger with a trashy novel and a drink with an umbrella in it, but I did get in some relaxation time in between moving house, unpacking, running a busy shop (in school holidays no less which is at times insanely busy) and trying not to have takeaway dinners too often.

It only took a handful of nights for us to get sick of eaten-out dinners and craving home-cooked real food and lots of veges. And we only had one fast-food breakfast– it was quite a novelty because we very rarely do it, but I somehow don’t think my ideal Paris girl would be caught dead eating a sausage and egg muffin with deep-fried hash brown at 8am (or anytime!). At least I was sitting down at a chair and table, that was probably the only French-inspired detail.

The funniest breakfast was at our old place when mostly everything was packed and I found my husband eating Weetbix made with hot water (rather than his usual hot milk) ladling it into his mouth with a large-size black plastic serving spoon out of a cooking pot. He was very happy though and said it was like an adventure. I think he was quite proud of himself for improvising.

Even though I still haven’t unpacked two of our three bedrooms (the guest room and office/sewing room), the rest of our house is pretty much set up, albeit in a slightly haphazard manner which I am tidying as I go. Just being in our own house makes me so happy and content, even though there are many little maintenance and decor things that need addressing.

I actually enjoyed cleaning our twenty-year old oven last week because it’s our oven, and I have to say it sparkles. We will update the kitchen eventually, but for the moment I am more than happy cooking in and keeping clean and organised my outdated kitchen because, yes, it’s our kitchen.

The area we live in now I am very pleased with too. It’s where my husband grew up, so he feels instantly secure and happy here. It has a really nice family feeling, with people walking their dogs and out with their children after work. There are even ducks which waddle around in pairs, and I saw a Mother duck and her ducklings. There are some ponds nearby which explains exactly why you sometimes have to wait for the ducks to cross before you can turn into your driveway.

I haven’t picked up Jessica cat yet, I go in a few days time. But at the top of this post is a photo of her which the cat shelter kindly sent me. I remembered her as being quite homely but perhaps she was having an off day as she is quite the pretty girl here. I felt mean looking at the most beautiful cats thinking which one I should choose, so I asked the shelter person ‘which one needs a home the most’ and came away sponsoring Jessica until we could pick her up.

Another thing I love about our neighbourhood is, while we are out in the suburbs, it is on a direct and nearby bus route into the city, and there is a big supermarket, shops, and restaurants within walking distance. It took me eight minutes to walk to the supermarket the other day to pick up a few items for dinner. I am glad we can continue to live well with one car. I never mind taking public transport either, it always makes me feel like I live in a big city. I just have to remember to tuck a book into my bag.

So that’s all to report in with now. I will share some photos with you when the house is looking a little more presentable. I've taken many photos and I'll entertain you with some befores and afters one day, but I'm afraid at the moment they are all 'befores'!

22 comments:

  1. Fiona,

    I am so very excited for you and your husband moving into a new home. You both must be ecstatic! And to celebrate your new house with a new kitty just makes this event even more special.
    xo, Adrienne

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  2. Congratulations on your new home! Moving house can be quite hectic but oh, the bliss when everything is in it's place and you can sit back and relax! The description of your husband eating his Weetabix with a serving spoon made me giggle, I'm sure it was a memorable moment!

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  3. Congratulations on your new home. It sounds like you have had a fun yet busy month! Have a great day! xxoo :)

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  4. Your new home and neighborhood sound very lovely! The cat looks very handsome - I bet she is simply thriving more after one more month of care. Enjoy this new phase of your life.

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  5. YAY! I'm so glad your back!! Glad the move went well! So excited to see pictures!

    XO Lucy

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  6. Dearest Fiona,

    So glad you are making progress and seeing the end of the tunnel. It is quite a job but the rewards at the end are great.
    Enjoy what you are doing and hope that Jessica will soon move in with you.
    Love to you,

    Mariette

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  7. I loved seeing a photo of Jessica. She's beautiful and will no doubt love being a part of your family. Congratulations on the new home and successful move. And you've inspired me to give some love to my still needing to be updated kitchen because it's "my" kitchen :)

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  8. Hello Fiona, how lovely to see you again after your month's absence, Congratulations on the new house, I hope you both have years of happiness in it.

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  9. Glad to hear all went well with the house and you're enjoying it. Also glad to hear you are near conveniences, we are as well and it cuts down on driving and hassle. Good for you! :)

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  10. And congratulations on your World Cup win - well deserved! I've never seen such a large sporting event go as well as this one did - your entire country should be rightfully proud of your accomplishments!
    big hug,
    Vivienne (who is still feeling bad for the Wales team...)

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  11. Oh you sound so happy and content and what could be nicer than moving all your things into your very own home!
    Congratulations!
    What a bonus to be able to walk to the shops and to be settling into a familiar neighbourhood.
    I wonder if your cat might befriend those ducks!

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  12. Awww, so much happy news! A new house, a new cat and a clean oven. :) i've lived here four years and have never cleaned the inside of the oven. It just doesn't occur to me to do it.

    Welcome back to blogging. Your neighborhood sounds delightful.

    Jennifer

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  13. Congratulations Fiona, and great to see you back. Can't wait to hear more about the new adventures in your new home; how exciting!

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  14. It is nice to have your own home, isn't it? Sounds like you have a lovely neighbourhood, too, which is very important of course. I have a friend who has come over to my house to join in a walking group that meets near me (still only occasionally). Although she and her husband are both retired physicians with no children and more money that they know how to spend, although the live in a very expensive area in a huge 4 bedroom 3 bathroom house, hers is a 'driving' rather than a 'walking' neighborhood. I, on the other hand, have a 17-acre wooded park, a gorgeous beach and a riverside all within 5 minutes. Being able to walk in your neighborhood and having shops etc nearby is a huge plus, I think. Congratulations! And that cat is lovely, not homely!

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  15. It's so wonderful to see you back. I missed you while you were gone but am so happy for you. I know you needed a break while you took care of the move. Congratulations on your new house. It's so lovely to have a neighborhood where you can walk around and feel at home. So nice that you have shops nearby too! I look forward to hearing more about the new house.

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  16. So glad you're back! Congratulations on your new home, may you be very happy there. Jessica looks tres jolie, a very chic kitty indeed!

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  17. Thank you so much for all your well wishes! I feel very spoilt. You inspire me to crack on and turn a corner of cluttery boxes into unpacked loveliness. Every room I go to there is still more to organise.

    Vivienne, thank you regards the world cup win. My husband was ecstatic. I wish the last game was a better one, but we won in the end which is what everyone cares about, although the French could just have easily been the victors!

    Hostess, I'm hoping Jessica will settle in well with the ducks. There are many other neighbourhood cats around and they all seem to happily co-exist 'bill by whisker' (with apologies to 'cheek by jowl').

    Jennifer, we cook in the oven a lot and I wanted to have it nice and clean from the start. It wasn't that dirty and it was a breeze to do. I have been wondering if I should clean it six monthly or annually rather than longer. I think I cleaned our last oven once or twice in 4-5 years.

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  18. So glad you're back! You were missed. ;)

    Good luck with the rest of the house, knowing you, I'm sure it will be fabulously organized.

    I had the easiest academic load thus far this week in grad school, so I cleaned the entire apartment this weekend and completed all my errands...even though I was exhausted though I studied considerably less...it did feel good to have that all off my chest! Much more relaxing than doing nothing...I should listen to you more often...I've been going to bed early consistently for the first time in years...and it's miraculous how much more productive I've been during waking hours! ;)

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  19. Bonjour! and congratulations on your new home Fiona! :]

    the area that you live in sounds quite lovely and I look forward to your pictures of it and Jessica cat! It is a new month and I'm hopeful that it will be a good one! another fresh start for conscious chic choices.
    welcome back, Fiona :)

    Lenna

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  20. dear fiona,

    bravo to you! a whole month w/o blogging. omg, i need to do this! and also bravo for your rescue cat. i love you for that. and congratulations on your new home in your new lovely neighborhood. you are the epitome of chic!

    xo
    janet

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  21. I'm so happy you've found happiness in your new home! It sounds like a good fit. And Jessica is a beautiful cat!

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  22. Welcome back! Sounds like you had a "working" vacation! But it's so fun to move into a new house. Your kitty is precious and my five kitties say hello! Looking forward to hearing more about your home, kitty, etc.

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Merci for your comment. Wishing you a chic day!

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