Nina cat appreciation day :)

 

 Hello friends,

Last week I came across Nina cat’s original ‘birth certificate’, her paperwork when we adopted her from a cat shelter 😊

I thought she was about 14 years old now, turns out she is 16! 💕

She really is so ageless I’m not surprised we missed a couple of years. She came to live with us at 18 months, and has loved life ever since.

She still tears up and down the lawn outside, brings the occasional mouse or even rat in (I KNOW), and as I’m typing this in my office she appeared at the window to be let in. (She knows she is being talked about.)

This photo of her the other day is in one of our guest rooms Nina claimed as her own, so I put her bed there for her to soak up the sun. She naps there most days.

It’s the room I have set up as my audiobook recording studio, with plenty of soft furnishings and blankets draped over the mirrored glass drawers (it looks great as you can imagine 🤣).

While recording I shut the bedroom door and put a draft excluder down to muffle any dogs snorting under the door trying to find me (DAPHNE).

Nina is not a fan of my audiobooks though. I don’t shout them, it’s just my voice, and I only do short sessions at a time, but as soon as I start recording, she indignantly hops off the bed and waits to be let out.

So the dance ALWAYS is to open the door, let Nina out, close the door again, reposition the draft excluder and restart my recording. (She doesn’t leave until I start recording, normal talking doesn’t annoy her 🤣). This happens every single time I do a session.

Apparently Nina loves having staff, so much so that despite letting her in my office window a few minutes ago, she appeared there again like an apparition. She must have gone straight out after the first time I let her in, and back up onto my windowsill!

Aren’t cats funny? I used to think they don’t have their own personality like dogs, but they definitely have. And Miss Nina is a real character, as well as being an eternal kitten even at 16.

She’s tiny too, as you can see, weighing only 3.2kg (7 pounds). Yet eats like a horse! (She has had worm tablets so don’t worry 😊).

Tell me about your cat(s). I bet they’re cute too and do crazy things just like Nina.

x Fiona

PS. ‘The Autumn Reset’ is high in the charts at the moment, thanks to all of you in the northern hemisphere reading it and loving it. I appreciate each and every order, review, mention, and share of my books. Truly!

And, I’ve just started uploading to Kobo at a reader request. I started with ‘The Autumn Reset’ and will do the others one at a time. There is no bulk upload that I know of, so I’ll work through them over time :) ‘The Autumn Reset’ is on Kobo Plus too.

Of course, now I need to write a Spring book to complete the set, which is in the planning stages. I love dreaming up new titles and getting all excited for the ideas inside each book. I love my ‘job’ so much!

 

 

[My Amazon links earn me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I’m appreciative if you are happy to use my links when shopping on Amazon!]

Personal style and home decor style, and keeping track of the days :D

 

Hello friends!

In the colour palette world, I am a Soft Summer. I had my colours ‘done’ in the early 1990s, and I still have swatches showing all my best colours. I love it so much!

Over the years I’ve come and gone from these shades, but I’ve stayed pretty close, and when I’ve gone too far away and see a photo of me in a tone that is too warm or sharp for me it really shows.

One thing I instinctively did for myself within the Soft Summer palette was to choose the brighter shades which give me a happy feeling.

I even write about my love of ‘soft-brights’ in some of my books when I talk about clothing. And looking back at my Soft Summer swatches, they’re all right there - watermelon, geranium, and the kind of green I’m wearing here but don’t really know the name for.

They’re kind of like a bright colour that got left out in the sun and faded a bit. ‘Sun softened’ shall we say.

I’m just so fascinated by colours and how one can make you pop and another just looks drab.

My mum is a Winter, and she looks stunning in black, and icy cool clear shades as well as deep jewel tones. Her light blue eyes are so vivid when she wears those colours. Her hair was darkest brown-black when younger, and now is a cool platinum grey.

I always think it’s really helpful to look back at your colouring in your earlier years, and gather together photos where you look really good - maybe the colours are contributing, so what are those colours?

It’s just such a fun thing to study for me, and it fits in with any budget too. The most expensive designer outfit in colours that don’t reflect well on you won’t be as lovely as a mid-range or inexpensive outfit in your best shades.

Here are my vintage ‘Color Me Beautiful’ swatches :) 

 

 

 

What I like about the colour palettes for each season is that they contain all the colours - I have reds, blues, greens, even yellow, just in the tones that are good for me. I have neutrals too. It’s all good!

I remember it being expensive at the time, but it really has been an investment that I’ve enjoyed over the years.

These days you can do it for free with YouTube videos, books, and AI even, but I like that I had a person drape me with the fabrics.

Let me know your season if you’re into colours too!

 

~~

 

 

 

I thought I’d share a favourite corner in our living/dining room. I like to have a small television tucked in there with background music playing on YouTube which I know others might not. To me it looks like just another piece of art on the gallery wall. (I use it for Pilates sometimes too).

The metal sideboard, lamp, and three smaller pieces of art came from an auction house when we first moved to this place.

My dad made the bookcase based on one I saw in a magazine that looked like a ladder.

Paul gave me the French gilt mirror for my birthday when we were first going out.

The two green vases came from Korea as a gift to my dad when he did business with a Korean company back in the 1980s. (He had an engineering business making fruit grading machinery.) I’ve always loved the vases and now I get to have a turn of them.

And the crazy bird picture is from my brother’s interiors shop when he had it.

I love a mix of traditional and whimsy in my home style.

When we were first building up the decor style after moving into this home I decided on ‘Ralph Lauren on a Budget X French Chateau’. (Luckily Paul was on board too.)

Since then I’ve also added in a dash of sexiness/glamour/relaxedness to prevent things feeling too staid.

The rug is also from the auction house, and we have plain sisal-style carpet.

What would your decor style be if you could give it a name? I love dreaming up themes and directions and thinking about elegant yet effortless decor - let me know yours!

 

~~

 

 

~ Flowers in our bathroom ~

 

How is everyone’s week starting out?

Mine is going well, even though half the time I don’t know what day it is...

And it’s because of this: Paul works for a local winery and his weekend is Tuesday/Wednesday. So even though today is Monday here it feels like Friday, lol.

Still, that’s the modern way isn’t it, when you don’t worry about the day of the week since so many people work shifts and non-Monday-to-Friday jobs.

I’ve always liked being a bit out of sync too, relaxing on a Tuesday afternoon and working on a Sunday morning. It suits my rebellious (’soft rebellious’) nature.

How I organise myself is yes, I do like to know what day it is, even if my schedule is not the norm, because every day has it’s own feeling, you know?

I use a calendar. It used to be a paper diary, but in recent years I use the calendar on my phone. I’ve gotten into the habit of checking it each day to see what I’ve got on.

I love that you can do automated recurring appointments as well as to-dos. I take a high dose of Vit D once a month for my bones, and I have a daily recurring ‘audiobook recording’ since I have a few more audiobooks to complete. I do a chapter or two each day and then they’re done.

[I am currently re-recording Luxurious Weight Loss because for some reason Audible declined it due to sound issues. I don’t know why because it was recorded in exactly the same way as all my other audiobooks and Audible accepted those. So that’s why this particular book is not available on Audible, but it will be in a few months!] 

 

 

 

So yes, the life of a self-employed author is not the usual, and adding on Paul’s topsy-turvy work week can you blame me for having to stop and think a minute what day it is?

Still, I’m sure it keeps my brain young, when everyday life is such a puzzle :)

Wishing you an excellent week!

xx Fiona

PS. For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, join the fall fun in my book The Autumn Reset. And if you’re Southern Hemisphere like me, there are still a few relevant chapters in it for you! (I always like to join in the ‘fall vibes’ aesthetic while enjoying our early spring weather - we get the best of both worlds under the equator!) 

 

 

 

My Amazon links for are affiliate, but the prices don’t change for you. I’m appreciative if you choose to use one of these links if you are making a purchase :)

The writer returns - I'm feeling more like myself, yay!

 

Hey friends,

Join me for a cozy winter outing with the doggies! I mean, how cute is Chloe in her puffer jacket? And Daphne in her hot pink fleece?

Chloe loves standing up at the window, watching the world go by.

And Micky is just out of the frame and very much NOT a jacket guy. When I tried to put one on him on a freezing day he sat on the lawn and refused to go for a walk until I removed it. Okay then!

And as for me, I'm feeling better. Hoorah! I actually feel like I'm coming out of the tunnel. It was a longer tunnel than I'd anticipated, and had lots of dog legs and side tunnels lol, but I made it.

Since we were last in touch I've been WRITING too. So exciting. My mojo is back 😍 Of course I may still experience tiredness and lack of inspiration in the future, but for now I'm revelling in being back into the world of words. I truly couldn't be happier.

And that means I'll have a book completed soon. It is finished, but I'm just doing all the editing, which always takes longer than I'd like but I want it to be good so I curb my impatience.

At the beginning of the year, just after my surgery, I started writing down my experience. It was one long document with no chapters, and I just kept adding to it. I realised, reading back to it, that it’s really funny.

I know ‘funny’ isn’t a word you’d normally use to describe a cancer memoir, but it is, along with uplifting, and giving you, the reader, a front row seat to what it’s really like to deal with a cancer diagnosis.

I like to think it takes away some of the scary mystery, because it is petrifying to think about what you’d do if you were ever told you had cancer.

I hope you’re well, and thank you for your continued messages, emails and comments. I have not responded to many at all, virtually zero, because it feels like ‘a lot’, but I truly, truly appreciate them, and read every word.

And I have taken on your advice, even down to what books to read (I just finished Yesteryear, what a crazy ride that was!!)

Big hugs to you, and I’ll see you soon, maybe with a new book!

Fiona x

Yesteryear is here on Amazon at my affiliate link if you want to join the fun.

Positivity and looking ahead

 

Hello everyone! Daphne and I are outside enjoying a coffee on this late summer day. It's starting to feel a little like autumn.

And I am feeling so much better! Officially past the eight weeks post-surgery mark and the infection is gone too. I'm still taking it easy but it's so nice to feel a little bit more normal.

Soon I’m travelling to Palmerston North, which is a couple of hours drive, to attend a planning meeting for my radiotherapy. And then not long after that I will be booked in for a week’s worth of treatment.

I’m grateful that all my other treatment, surgery etc has been local, but we don’t have a radiation department here in Hawke’s Bay.

And after that I should be finished up with all the big stuff, just my five-year Letrozole medication to take. I’m sure it will fly by. The years do now 😊

I had my hair trimmed too. When I thought I was going to have to have chemo and lose my hair I thought it would be nice to try a bob before that happened.

Once I found out I didn't have to have chemo I still decided to give it a go so now I have a long bob. There is only a little bit of colour right on the tips so most of the colour is mine now.

My greys provide natural highlights in my beige blonde, yay! It's so lovely and healthy compared with the coloured hair too, and I can wear it wavy/curly if I air dry it.

I’m pleased to say I have been feeling a bit more creative too. I still get tired easily but I can feel the excitement for my writing coming back.

I always have multiple books on the go, but I’m writing about my breast cancer experience currently, and will be covering three broad areas:

1. My journey with breast cancer
2. Helpful tips if you are going through a tough time health-wise too
3. Encouragement and support for those who have a loved one with a health challenge

So hopefully it will be an uplifting read for anyone, really. It won’t be doom and gloom but it will be ‘real’.

And, I think useful for anyone facing a health crisis, because I knew nothing about anything before I was diagnosed and now I reckon I could be a health professional I’ve learned so much over the past four months! 🤣

Hugs to you!
xx Fiona

Sunny days ahead (after the clouds have passed)

{Beautiful flowers from my lovely neighbour Anna ❤️ I love dahlias!}

 

Hello friends 😊

Every week is a new chapter around here, I tell you.

A few days after my previous post my left underarm (the biopsy side) became very sore and swollen and I thought I’d overdone my lymphatic arm exercises.

Then I noticed the skin becoming pink, then red, and the breast cancer specialist physio I had an appointment with that day said I needed to see a doctor for antibiotics NOW.

I started the medicine straight away but it stayed terrible, so painful! On Saturday morning Paul took me to the Emergency Department at our local hospital and they admitted me, saying I’d likely have to have surgery for an ‘infected seroma’ which is ‘serious but not uncommon’ after biopsy surgery.

Thankfully I did not end up having surgery, instead having a needle aspiration with a L O N G needle (thank goodness for lots of local anaesthetic and a very skilled radiology doctor). Plus IV antibiotics and strong pain meds.

They were happy to let me go yesterday and it was so nice to come home and see the doggies and Ninacat.

And yes I do see the irony: I spent twice the amount of time in hospital for this infection than for my original breast cancer surgery!

:: PRIVATE INSTAGRAM ::

As if that wasn’t enough, I’ve had some kind of bot attack on my Instagram account, and my followers have increased by over 2,000 in the last week or so, with a ton of silly bot comments.

There is no other way to deal with them than to delete each account individually 😢 And if I don’t, Instagram might think I’ve bought followers and delete my account.

So I’ve had to temporarily make my Instagram account private (to stem the flow, haha) while I tidy up this crazy mess.

If the worst happens and my account is deleted, you can find all my links at fionaferris.com

Go find me there now and bookmark it just in case you lose me on IG😮

So yes, it’s been quite the drama-filled week or two. Onwards and upwards though, and I’m SO happy to be back at home and on the mend.

I hope you had a calmer week than I did, and all my best to you!

x Fiona

Mocktail ideas, and another author milestone

 

Hello friends,

For these warm spring days I’ve been experimenting with mocktails. This one was a ‘Mojito’ which I served with frozen lime quarters and fresh mint from the garden. It was good!

I think the alcohol-free mocktails have bitters in them which adds that alcoholic ‘bite’ without alcohol.

I always enjoy sitting down to relax before dinner, but (and perhaps I’ve trained myself), a glass of plain water, no frills, just doesn’t cut it.

So I’ve been trying different special drinks to have alcohol-free evenings. There is quite the selection these days, but none of them are cheap!

Sparkling water is still a good option, and it would be lovely served like I’ve served this Mojito.

Please tell me, do you have favourite alcohol-free drinks to relax with at the end of the day? I’ve love some new ones to put on my ‘menu’.

 

~~

 

 

 Another milestone to share 😍

There are now 120,000 of my books floating around in the world - either on Kindles or as paperbacks, on home bookshelves or in public libraries - hopefully providing lots of inspiration!

And this number doesn’t include my audiobooks, which are a ‘new’ thing for me in the past couple of years. (I love reading my books for you 🥰)

I’m just so grateful that I get to share what lights me up with you, my reader. I’ve always had a rich imagination, and the need to make everyday life a little more feminine and lovely.

I feel like so much of life can be drudgery if we let it, and equally the opposite can be so.

I know I’m lucky, I totally get it. I don’t have to go to a job anymore, and haven’t since 2016 when we sold our retail business.

But honestly, it’s all come from what I write about in my books - both the ‘creating a rose-tinted mindset’ aspect, as well being financially savvy.

It is possible to live a very good life without spending a lot of money. And the less you spend (by only buying things that have value for you), the less stress there is to earn more.

I love having my no-spend days, using what I have, aiming for a minimalist way of living in my own style, and appreciating how lucky I am every single day.

I know I am just a minnow in the author world where authors sell millions and even billions of copies of their books. But I am very happy to be so 😊 I’m just doing my own little thing over here, and whoever wants to join me can join me. We have the best fun!

So if you’ve ever bought one of my books or asked your library to order them in, THANK YOU. I appreciate you!

xx Fiona

PS. You can find my book ‘100 Ways to enjoy Self-Care for Gentle Wellbeing and a Healthy Body Image here on Amazon, or go to fionaferris.com for reading/listening alternatives, and of course all my other 25+ titles.

 

 

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase using these links. It’s no extra cost to you, so I really appreciate it if you choose to use my links for any Amazon purchases you might be making!]

Happy birthday to us, and to all my Libran readers too!

 

Paul and I share a birthday, and as our gift, my mum shouted us to lunch at our favourite winery restaurant.

It was so lovely, a real treat.

 

 

It’s not every day you get to be served a beautiful three-course meal with delectable wines and a petite birthday cake at the end.

We took the cake home because we knew we would appreciate it more later on, and we did!

 

 

I always like the idea of your birthday being your own personal new year, and that’s what it feels like for me.

 

 

 

Happy birthday to all my fellow Librans too 😊

 

~~

 

🌸🌞🌸

Pink blossom and a sunny spring sky on my morning walk

 

After immersing myself in autumn to finish up my newest book ‘The Autumn Reset’ it’s so nice to come back to our spring season here in Hawke’s Bay.

It’s such a nice time to be in just after a book release. That happy satisfaction of a project completed, and the knowledge that copies are being read all around the world. I really do not take it for granted how lucky I have to have THE nicest readers who enjoy the same things I do.

And now I get to dream up my next book! That is very exciting to me. I have other books already on the go so I shall go and visit each one for a browse; see what takes my fancy 😊

I wonder what will come next? It’s always a surprise for me too!

 

~~

 

 

And finally, in exciting news I was interviewed this morning for the radio show K104.7 FM in the Hudson Valley, New York and it was amazing.

The presenters Jonna and Keryl were lovely, and their producer Frankenberry was as well. Sounds like they have a lot of fun on their show!

You can listen to it 7am ET this Sunday morning October 26.

And the recording will be available as a podcast a few days later; you can find it here (scroll down to the ‘Happy Hour’ show):

We talked a little bit a about ‘The Autumn Reset’ and had a good general chitchat about living life well. I’m so excited to be ‘on the radio’! And thank you for a fabulous opportunity, Happy Hour team 😊

(Here’s a link to ‘The Autumn Reset’ on Amazon if you haven’t read it yet 🍂)

Happy listening, and happy reading :)

xx Fiona

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase using these links. It’s no extra cost to you, so I really appreciate it if you choose to use my links for any Amazon purchases you might be making!]

10 years of books ~~ and, Christmas is coming!

 

I realised just the other day that it’s been ten years since I started writing and publishing my books. It was in 2015 that I took the plunge and published a little series of books based on my blog How to be Chic (which is still up, the archives going all the way back to 2010).

Then, I plucked the courage up from who knows where, and finished writing the book I’d been stop-starting on for years, and published that too. That book is called Thirty Chic Days. And it grew from there. Some years I only published one book, and others, I published 4-6 books.

But even in the times when my writing was slow, and I felt like hiding away instead of being visible, I still kept on going. And that’s the secret to any success I think. You just keep on going. And, fan the flames of excitement for yourself. If there is something you really, really want to do but have lost your enthusiasm for, get it back up again in whatever way you need to. (Often for me what helps is to revisit early inspiration).

That’s really the crux of all my books, making your life better and achieving the goals you’ve set whether they are tiny or huge, and making it fun and playful and easy. Life is too short to make anything a grueling challenge.

I was listening to something the other day which said ‘how you get there is how you will experience it’, which is so true.

With my writing, it’s interspersed with me living a lovely life. I’m not holed up in my office locked in until I’ve typed 5,000 words. That doesn’t work for me. I need to have it feel light and effortless for the words to flow.

Whatever project you want to undertake, whether it’s organising your closet or pantry, getting fit and healthy, or… writing a book, find out how to make it the most fun for you. Find the angle that sparks you off.

And yay to me for ten years of writing books! I can toot my horn for that!

 

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My sister arrived back from a trip to NYC last week, and bought this candle as a gift for our mum.

 

I was visiting when it arrived, so we had to give it a little test run 😊 Just to make sure it worked at Christmastime. Totally reasonable right?

It smells so pretty! ‘Fresh cut pine, cinnamon sugar and toasted marshmallow’ and it’s not too pine-y.

My sister was kind enough to indulge me with a few Click and Collect orders from Bath and Body Works so now I have lots of lovely new scents to enjoy.

I used to prefer the lotions and creams, but now I love the body mists, which I keep in my office on a shelf for an uplifting spritz throughout the day. They power my writing and creating!

My sister said Paul must have ‘nostrils of steel’ with all the scented candles and fragrance mists I have 😂 Luckily he likes them too 🥰

Are you a fan? I know the blow-your-socks off scents aren’t for everyone, but for me, when I discovered Bath and Body Works in 2013 on our first trip to Hawaii I was HOOKED. I thought I’d discovered nirvana 🤣

We can’t buy them here sadly and they don’t ship to New Zealand. The price to freight forward is cost-prohibitive so I make the most of any holidays overseas (rare) or family members travelling (lucky them haha).

Are you a fan? Do you too have nostrils of steel? 😂

Let me know your favourite scents if you are!

I love all the cakey gourmand flavours, the Everyday Luxuries range (Pink Obsessed is so good!) and basically having a variety to let me choose what I feel like wearing that day.

 

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If you are a cozy mystery fan like I am (among the many genres of books I enjoy) and would like a little taste of New Zealand, specifically the village of Havelock North in Hawke’s Bay where I grew up and still live near, I can heartily recommend the Bookshop Detective series.

 

 

The books are funny, light-hearted, and heartwarming too. I always like it when books (or movies or series) have ‘heart’, and this book does.

And the mysteries are good too!

I’ve just finished the second book pictured here, but I can only see the first book (with a red cover: ‘Dead Girl Gone’) on Amazon. But you will probably want to start with the first book anyway 😊

Here is the Amazon link to book 1.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries then I think you’ll really like this series. And it’s extra fun for me to sleuth out the businesses referenced and what their real names are.

I can help out with any uniquely New Zealand references that may baffle you, but it’s so well-written that there shouldn’t be too many of those.

Happy reading if you decide to try this series!

With all my best from a warm, rainy spring day in Hawke’s Bay,

xx Fiona

PS. I saw Christmas mugs and candles in the shops yesterday! I suppose it is October now and can be expected.

In case you want to do a little plotting and planning on how best to enjoy your Christmas, read (or re-read) my book A Chic and Simple Christmas and work out how you can best enjoy the holiday season this year and every year.

In this book you can read how I made my Christmas time more magical by minimising or changing the things that stressed me out, and doing more of the things that really bring out the best in Christmas for me. And you can do the same.

 

 

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase using these links. It’s no extra cost to you, so I really appreciate it if you choose to use my links for any Amazon purchases you might be making!]

My European-inspired life: family dinner out, and spring vegetables to plant

Hello friend,

Sunset is such a pretty time for a picture!

Paul and I met family out for dinner at a local pizzeria this evening.

I took a photo of the outdoor area where we sat at the end of the night so I wouldn't photograph people.

 

There were nine of us at the table and it was a fun time. As always, I got to have the other half of my pizza for lunch the next day. I chose Margherita, yum!

I've always loved the dreamy ideal of a long family table outdoors, Italian style. I've seen it in movies where there are tables placed end-on-end, with white table cloths, wooden chairs, and fairy lights in the trees.

On the tables are jugs of water and carafes of red wine. Good food is abundant and passed around. All age groups and generations are represented.

I love that visual so much!

And we sort of had that at our pizzeria dinner. I must say, our waiter was so good, very personable and helpful. He even remembered nine orders in his head and they were all correct. What a skill to have!

If you too adore bringing little touches of the European lifestyle into your daily routine, I think you might enjoy my book '100 Ways to Live a European Inspired Life'.

It's a quick read available on Amazon (eBook, paperback, or audiobook) or in my eStore (eBook or audiobook) for an Amazon alternative.

 

 

~~ 

We had the rainest, coziest, drizzliest day here the other day. Just the perfect day to be at home.
 

I love those days where the rain is so soft it's almost invisible, but it's giving everything a good soaking.

I've bought my spring plants but not planted them out yet - two types of tomatoes (acid free roma, and ‘early girl’ just because I liked the name 😊), cucumber, cos lettuce (green and red), perpetual spinach, and basil.

All vegetables that I know I can grow easily, and are plentiful when they do grow. And most importantly they are what we actually eat on a daily basis so they are saving us real money (plus, spray-free!)

You can see my plants still in the boxes, enjoying a spring shower. I leave them out to take in the sun on sunny days, but pull them in under the eaves if it is frosty overnight.

 

Just a hint of spring warmth sent me to the garden centre! I'll plant these out within the next week or two.

But on this day I enjoyed the cozy rain 😊

~~ 

I have been writing towards my next book - it’s 2/3 completed.

And I got the idea for another book while out walking a few days ago, so I made some notes and started on that one too. Just to capture the idea while it was fresh in my mind!

For now I’m back to the first book mentioned, so I can finish it up and release it into the world. I love always having multiple ideas on the go. Sometimes I switch between them depending on what the energy is strongest for, and other times I’ll focus on the one book to get it finished. I love to go with the flow! And it all works out in the end.

Wishing you a lovely week, whatever it holds for you.

xx Fiona

~~ 

PS. You can find all my links at fionaferris.com if you’d like to find out more about my writing, or peruse my 25+ books all about living a fabulous life without spending a lot of money.

 

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase using these links. It’s no extra cost to you, so I really appreciate it if you choose to use my links for any Amazon purchases you might be making!]

Hello spring! And an upcoming podcast :)

  🌺 Hello spring! 🌺

I've always loved the coziness of autumn and winter, but this year I am ready to embrace spring.

We've had a really cold winter so it is a tonic to see the first blossoms and feel temperatures rising. The lawn is lush and I can see my winter crops - cos lettuce and perpetual spinach - coming away again.

I know for those of you who have had a long hot summer are ready for the cooler feeling of autumn, and I'm here for all of it: spring for me, and the fun of northern hemisphere 'fall' too.

You guys do it so well, whether you are in Europe or North America. Thank you for putting pictures up on your Instagram, creating vlogs, and also... I love the candles. Pumpkin Pecan Waffles anyone?

So I really think I get the best of both worlds here - spring *and* autumn!

And of course, I am writing. This next book I am taking my time over and have been putting my heart into, one chapter at a time.

I plan to release it this month. (My goal was last month but it will be a September book now as long as I keep writing it!)

~~

💛💛💛 Beautiful yellow tulips at my mum's house on a sunny spring day 💛💛💛

~~

 

And I’m excited to share that I will be featuring on Monie Forrs upcoming season 2 of her podcast Cat Coach Cafe. We are recording our episode next month and it will air in November.

Monie told me that Cat Coach Cafe is where she shares humorous musings on a life well-lived written from the perspective of her 3 cats. It is ‘a cat-themed wellbeing podcast for all cat lovers and book lovers, with (Czech) seasonal traditions, and guest interviews which include authors, cat-fluencers, and anyone living “catfully” - meaning living intentionally and with the right kind of Cattitude (= putting yourself first). The goal of the podcast is to create a cosy space to inspire lives, slow down, and create that warm feeling inside, and as a potential "by-product" inspire more cat adoptions through sharing powerful cat stories.’

I mean, how adorable is that? I can’t wait to chat with Monie :)

And I’m telling you, it was quite the feat to work out a time for us to speak when I am in New Zealand and she is in Europe. It will be early morning for me and later in the evening for her. I love how our global our community is now though!

I hope your week is going well, and whatever creative project you are working on, all the best to you.

x Fiona

PS. You can find all my books and other links at fionaferris.com

 

Autumn showers and autumn style

 

Greetings from a rainy week! I had to stand under the carport so Paul could take a photo of me :) I love my autumn toned outfit with navy and green paired with leopard.

 

I hope you had a lovely Easter if you celebrate it. Paul worked a few of the days and I've been writing, and on Monday we had 'Easter lunch for three' with my mum at home.

 

~~

 

 

I've been so enjoying going for my pre-breakfast walk each day with an audiobook playing (between showers).

At the moment I'm listening to Molly the Maid's 3rd book - The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose. I really love the narrator!

Have you found that you can get hooked on narrator's voices and enjoy a book series more because of them? And seek out other books they've narrated? I do 😊

I really hope you are hooked on my audiobooks too! haha, please don't tell me if you find my voice horrible 😂 But I welcome constructive feedback... 😮 if you're kind about it of course!

 

~~

I am migrating my email newsletter list over to Substack, so the next email you receive from me may look a little different. Just to let you know!

 

Wishing you a fab week and that you are keeping safe and well :)

 

With warm regards,

Fiona x

Make your own sunshine

Micky and me - why do dogs never look at the camera?
Or is it just my dogs???

 

 

Hello chic friends!

 

The day we took these photos was bright, sunny and warm, as you can see. But today, when I was thinking about this post, it was grey and cold, and soon after I came back from my walk, it started raining lightly. But I was so happy in my mind that it gave me the idea to write about being making your own sunshine, even if it's cloudy outside. It didn't matter to me that the skies were grey and it was chilly, because I felt good in myself and excited about my day's plans.

 

And you might find this extra impressive when you hear that my day's plans were to start my taxes and get them done early. I know! What kind a freak am I, haha. But that was one of the things that was making me feel so good - being ahead of the game.

 

Yes, I love being self-employed as an author, but it does mean all the admin falls on me, not an employer. I have to make sure I put money aside for tax, and get all my paperwork in on time too. Usually I'm pretty good at getting all the information for our accountant together, but last year I wasn't. Last year I left it until only a few months before the deadline, and that few months also included giving my accountant enough time to do her part.

 

It was stressful! So this year I decided I was going to do my taxes as soon as I received the email go-ahead from my accountant, and that came in yesterday. My lofty plan is to have it all wrapped up within a few days and emailed back to her by Easter, which is this weekend!

 

This ambitious plan makes me feel good, and I know I will feel even better once my taxes are in. So 'being ahead' is one way that I make my own sunshine. Nothing feels better than being organised - there are no horrible surprises! I forget sometimes and let things slide, but it always feels better to be on top of things.

 

 

 

Perfection across the bay

 

 

Other ways in which I make my own sunshine?

 

🌞 Thinking of all the goodness around, instead of the scary things in the world.

 

🌞 Watching cheery movies and tv series (we are enjoying Running Point with Kate Hudson on Netflix at the moment).

 

🌞 Reading feelgood books (I just finished We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes and it was so good!)

 

🌞 Getting dressed for the day, putting on a little bit of makeup, and freshly washed and blow-dried hair is the best pick-me-up ever! Plus perfume of course :)

 

🌞 Being a little bit silly, playing with the doggies, and just goofing around in general - it's a real tonic! Gets me out of my head and into my body, which feels so much better than the other way around.

 

 

Please tell me, what do you like to do to lighten up when you feel a bit heavy and stressed? And if you need to borrow some of my ideas, please go right ahead :)

 

Paul and Micky :)

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Beautiful autumn sunrise at our place 🧡💜💗💛

 

Who is ready for a new season (whether it's spring or autumn for you)? It's fun to think about 'new' outfit combinations (shop my closet) and creating a capsule collection.

Also for what goals I might want to focus on in the next three months. I always think a nature season is the perfect length of time to make changes or bring new things in.

~~

 

 

 

Out at the supermarket I saw the loveliest flowers, so happy and colourful!

 

 

I read in a magazine article this weekend that the lady interviewed cited 'wearing colour' as one way that she got dopamine hits for herself and I thought that was so true.

 

 

Wearing happy colours makes me feel good too. And viewing gorgeous flowers does the same.

 

 Enjoy the display! Who can't love bright yellow, hot pink and orange together 💛💖🧡

 

 

~~

 

 

Sweet Micky is going to be 14 in a few months, and he really is such a good advertisement for 'clean living' because he doesn't look a day over 10 😊

He loves going for walks, especially at the beach or in the city, and would walk for miles if you did. He is always reluctant to get back into the car after an outing because it means the walk is over!

He is my brother's dog and came to live with us 2.5 years ago when he moved overseas. Micky has fitted in so well with Daphne and Chloe and is totally now their big brother. And he has such a friendly, relaxed nature; you can see it in his eyes.

He is half Jack Russell Terrier, half Shih Tzu. My brother reckons that makes him a Jack Sh!t 🤣

He really is an ageless boy, so full of happiness and zing.

A funny thing: when he was an only dog he wasn't that food focused. At his place there would always be a bowl of dog biscuits next to his water bowl to graze from.

Now that he lives with two other dogs he has turned into a dog who wants food all the time, and we daren't leave a bowl of biscuits out. Competition! And he is always keen for his breakfast, lunchtime biscuit, and dinner! Not to mention stray pieces of carrot, apple, and broccoli stalk. He's a healthy boy 😍

Are all dogs food-mad? Let me know about yours 😊

Have a happy week!
xx Fiona

 

PS. If you would like an Amazon alternative, all my eBooks and audiobooks are available in my eStore. You can view everything here! 

 

My most recent book!