Stylish home touches, and Daphne dog

 

Hello friends,

We usually call these richly scented oriental lilies ‘Christmas lilies’ since they bloom during our summer Christmas here in New Zealand.

But it’s August and we are in the depths of a frosty winter, so what do I call them now? Mid-winter Christmas lilies? Because they always smell like Christmas to me.

‘Mid-winter Christmas’ was a thing in the 1980s when my parents held and went to dinner parties.

It was a chance to feel a little festive when it was cold and bleak outside, and borrow from the fun of Christmas traditions from the northern hemisphere which suit wintry weather.

I remember buying a can of fake snow spray to paint on my bedroom windows at Christmastime when it was bright and summery, and then the crazy effort to scrape it off afterwards. I’m sure I left most of that to my mum.

So anyway, sorry about that mum, and thank you for one of the many times you cleaned up after me at home 🥰

I always think I don’t like fresh flowers in the home much, but I’ve discovered that it’s when they have no scent that I can’t see the point.

When they do have scent, I am happy to buy them. Oriental lilies, earlicheer and jonquils (I call them ‘spring flowers’ but they are always out in the winter), and Daphne. I love the smell of Daphne so much, I think that’s also a winter flower, but on a shrub. Also, scented roses. So delicious.

So I’m not a no-flower girl, I’m a ‘scented flower’ girl 😊

I’m glad to clear that up because I always felt like such a wowser when I didn’t enjoy buying flowers for our home.

These lilies lasted exactly two weeks and looked good the whole time.

Let me know if you are a fan of fragrant blooms like I am, and what your favourite flowers are to have in the home 😊

 

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 And hello from sweet Daphne, tucked in behind the pillow 🥰 She loves sneaking into corners, hoping she won’t be noticed so she can stay snuggled up beside me forever.

Especially at night when she’s meant to be zipped up in her cozy soft crate with blankets. She always tries to sleep on the bed and I have to disappoint her. I’m not against dogs on beds but she is a terrible bed sleeper.

Micky lies somewhere handy, like between our feet or between our pillows (I know), but Daphne always crimps your style, lying across ankles or forcing you to sleep in a funny shape to accommodate her.

Daphne’s expression here says: ‘If I don’t move, perhaps she won’t notice me.’ She has perfected it well 😂

And the sofa pillow is one of two I made my dad for Christmas one year. They came back to live with me after he died.

I love playing around upcycling denim so much. I have another set of denim cushions, placemats, and coasters... such fun ❤️

Happy weekend!

x Fiona

 

 

PS. You can find all my links here: fionaferris.com

And my latest book ‘Life Is Good’:

 

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission when you use my links, at no extra cost to you. I appreciate it if you choose to use my links at any time!]

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!)

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

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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

 

A harvest day, and what I'm reading

 

 

Last weekend Paul and I attended a harvest day at one of our local wineries called Alpha Domus. We spent the morning picking grapes, and then enjoyed a beautiful lunch with wine. The weather was lovely and it was a very pleasant way to spend a day overall.

 

 

Doesn't this just look like a painting? That sky :)

 

 

I don't think I was as fast as a professional picker, but I did my best and managed not to nick myself this time. This is the third or fourth time we've attended this harvest day, and I admit, I did manage to cut myself the first time. The snips are very sharp! The secret is to have your hand under the bunch of grapes and let the bunch fall into your hand, rather than grip the bunch. The gripping leads to the snipping, lol.

 

 

 

We picked Chardonnay grapes for their top-tier Chardonnay. When you taste the grapes they are so sweet. I always thought that wine grapes weren't as sweet as table grapes but I was wrong. They are lovely!

 

 

 

 

And after our busy morning picking 2.5 tonnes of grapes (I know! It's a lot!) we got to see our grapes being squeezed and tasted the first of the juice (it tastes just like apple juice), and also tasted the wine from the same grapes we picked this time last year.

 

 

 

 

Lunch tables and umbrellas were set out, and it was so nice to sit down. I really felt like we'd done a full day's work (actually a half day's work but that doesn't roll off the tongue so well, haha).

 

 

 

 

Lunch was so delicious. I had lamb paella and the freshest salad with Parmesan and homemade dressing over top. It filled the spot perfectly, paired with a glass of red wine of course!

 

With thanks to our gracious hosts at Alpha Domus, it was a wonderful day :)

 

 

 

 ~~

 

And in reading news, I just finished this book. omg, so so stressful 😂 but so good! It is suspense genre and I've been into these types of books lately. Would recommend if you want to increase your heart rate 🤣

 

 

Two women who want to disappear from their lives cross paths at the airport and end up swapping tickets, passports, phones, luggages... lives.

It's not gory like The Housemaid book but it is definitely 'thrilling' and a good read. It makes you wonder what is behind closed doors in other peoples lives. Not that most people are 'that' different. Most of us are just very normal, living normal lives. Thank goodness!

 

The Flight book is here on my Amazon affiliate link, or I'm sure you can find it at the library like I did!

 

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Our hallway just inside the front door,
in my ‘Inspired by Ralph Lauren’ style

 

A little peek into our home...

 

I love a mix of traditional and modern, just like Ralph does. He goes chrome in his modern furniture though, whereas I prefer gold.

Note the table tennis balls for Nina cat corralled under the glass-topped hall table 💛😉🐈‍⬛

She loves to play with them and sometimes gets one out, and other times likes to bat them around within the confines of the table base.

It’s funny to hear her playing with them ☺️

Who is your main style influence if you have one? And what kinds of opposites do you like to mix together?

Wishing you a great week, whatever you are doing. I have writing planned, of course I do! I am working on multiple new books. It's just the way things work out. Eventually one pulls ahead and that's the one I finish next. And of course, keeping up with my audiobook recording. I am up to my twentieth audiobook, phew! It's actually really nice recording them, revisiting the books I've already written :)

My audiobooks are available anywhere you get your audiobooks from, including the library (you can ask for them to order them in), and they are also available in my eStore as an MP3 download.

 

xx Fiona

 

 

 

 

A southern hemisphere Christmas

 

Hello chic friends!

 

Tuesday this week was lovely and summery for my mum's birthday lunch - I wore black linen. I don't often wear black but I love it in the summer with gold jewellery.

Little Daphne dog didn't get to come with us but how cute is she? My sweet princess 🥰

 

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Christmas touches in my living room 😍

I love having a YouTube background music video playing on our little tv. This tv I bought so we could watch movies outside in the summer, and it happily sits anywhere giving me joy!

The video playing is part of a Lofi background music playlist I made as something a bit different to the soft jazz Christmas music I usually listen to, but it's still Christmassy ❤️

 

 

I hope your December is going well! I am imagining I am on Christmas vacation for the whole of December, so I can feel peaceful and relaxed as well as getting things done.

Some days it works well! Others... well, I'm only human 🤣

How about you? Are you avoiding stress? Enjoying your December?

 

 

 

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I've been getting a light tan laying out ten minutes each side every couple of days, and the doggies always join me.

Daphne and Chloe love the heat, and Micky pictured here comes too, but he prefers to relax in the shade. Such a cutie, and sun-smart as well!

He'd be the one at the beach in a big floppy hat and white linen caftan, very mysterious in oversized sunglasses 🤣

~~

Final days for my big book sale

 

And my once-a-year book sale is almost over. In 48 hours time prices will go back to normal. Until then all my books are US$3.99 on Amazon. Paperbacks are on sale too, with the prices varying due to printing costs being different for each one.

I hope you take this chance to stock up on any titles you don't have yet. It's always nice to have some new reading material going into the holiday season 😊

You can find all my books at my Amazon affiliate link here.

And I have a 50% off coupon code for my eStore, valid on anything in the store including audiobooks and even my author course.

Use the code HALFPRICEHAPPINESS in my eStore ❤️

Happy reading, and thank you for being a reader of my books!

xx Fiona

Christmas begins, and my chic and slim tricks

My book 'A Chic and Simple Christmas', pictured on our dining table :)

 

Greetings chic friends!

 

Last weekend I put up my simple Christmas decorations. I went for a classic combo of red and gold, with a wool-effect tartan ribbon on the tree.

Our living room is a dark, moody space, ideal for daytime lights on the tree. I’ve decided it is the perfect Christmas grotto!

 

Fun movie on Netflix

 

And this week I listened to a cute Christmas audiobook called 'Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel' on Spotify (here on Amazon and it looks to be US$1.10 on Kindle at the moment), and have been watching Christmas movies too like the one above.

I loved it! It made me want to read more classic literature :)

Why not take the time to get into the festive spirit with your favourite things, I’ve decided 😊

Other years I’ve started early, but it feels nice to start on the first of December this year. I like to switch things up for myself.

How about you? Are you doing Christmassy things? Please tell me your favourite books and movies too 🎄

 

‘A Chic and Simple Christmas’ is available on Kindle, in paperback, and on Audible here Amazon  (the audiobook is 99c with a free trial of Audible).

Plus you can listen to it free on Spotify if you have Spotify Premium.

 

 

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Coffee and cake out with my aunty and mum on a sunny summery day 😊

 

 

A long time ago, in my bid for healthy lifestyle habits, I decided to 'always choose small' when it came to buying drinks out.

The slightly bigger size is always better value, and 'good value' is one of my values (😂) But then I made it just what I do, so I always buy size small (as with my coffee here).

I also have a chic rule for myself, and that is to eat half of whatever treat I'm having. I am not denying myself completely - and I don't eat cake every day - but whenever I do have cake or a sweet treat out with coffee, I cut it in half first.

It's actually really easy to do because I've decided to already, plus when I cut it in half before starting to eat, there is no edging over until it's all gone 🤣

I ask for a small bag or takeaway box, and one very happy husband has the other half with his after-dinner coffee that night.

In the photo above is a delicious gluten-free carrot cake at Cafe on Tennyson in Napier. It's so nice I can't try anything else when I go there. I have to have the carrot cake! The cream cheese icing is yum too.

 

 

Day 27. 'Use the 'le half' technique' in my book 'Thirty Slim Days' details both of these chic habits in more detail.

 

And, 'Thirty Slim Days' is on special for US$3.99 instead of US$9.99 on Kindle at the moment (only for one week more though!) The paperback is reduced too, as part of my big once-a-year book sale. It's US$13.99 down from US$20.99.

For an Amazon alternative the eBook is 50% off in my eStore here.
Just use the code HALFPRICEHAPPINESS

 

 Please let me know your favourite tips when it comes to leading a healthy balanced lifestyle without feeling deprived. I always love little tricks, or in French ‘trucs’ as Anne Barone in her wonderful ‘Chic and Slim’ books calls them.

 

xx Fiona

 

PS.My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you use them to shop with Amazon, but the price doesn't change for you. Thank you if you choose to use any of my Amazon links :)

A new eatery, baking, and living with the seasons

 

 

Hello chic friends!

 

We found a great new bar/eatery in Napier, the town I live near, and have been twice so far since it was so good.

 

 

Gorgeous fitout, very glam. Nice staff, yummy food and who can resist a glass of local bubbles. The glasses are actually really nice too.

 

 

I'm happy that businesses are investing in Hawke's Bay and doing well also.

 

 

Cheers to a warm, sunny day too!

Have you been out anywhere good lately?

 

 

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My friend Tanya came around for lunch last week, so as usual I took the opportunity to bake something. I made Tan Square, from this recipe here.

 

Yum!

 

 

As I was leaving a review of my recipe on their site, I discovered I had used double the amount of condensed milk. And it turned out perfectly! I only realised this when other reviews said the caramel wasn’t quite plentiful enough and they would use the whole can of condensed milk next time.

What a lucky mistake!

I would make it the same way next time, but would probably cut the sugar in the base from 1/2C to ¼C. I usually halve the sugar in any baking recipe but since this only used ½C I didn’t. Next time I will! I used gluten free flour too, like I always do.

I made it the day before, which worked out well, because it was very soft and pudding-y that night (yes we had to taste test it :), but leaving it overnight in the fridge allowed me slice it into lovely neat pieces.

My husband Paul said ‘Do not make that again, it’s TOO nice’ and I agree! It’s not something I’d make every week, but it was a nice treat which I will make for entertaining occasions.

Oh, and I also used dark chocolate sharded with a sharp knife instead of chocolate chips. I like to use what I have, and I think proper chocolate is nicer anyway (Whittaker’s all the way! If you have tasted it, you will know.)

Plus, I used honey instead of golden syrup. Also using what I have. I wonder if there was anything left of the original recipe now that I think about it!

 

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🍇🍇🍇 Winter vines in our street 🍇🍇🍇

 

It's so cool to see the changes of season as we drive or walk past these grapevines. Here they are all pruned back and have been hunkering down, bare, over the winter.

And just in the past week or two there are little green shoots popping out (it's called 'bud burst'). Of course in the next month or two over spring there will be an explosion of green.

There is something relaxing and magical about the changing of the seasons. We can forget that human beings are part of nature too - I do. Springtime really does feel like a time of 'waking up'.

In the northern hemisphere you will be looking forward to slowing down and snuggling into autumn and winter :)

I love thinking about the changing seasons. Do you? What fun things do you have planned for your spring or autumn?

Mine are to write another book after the one I've just finished (which will be out soon!), keep my office admin in check (it feels SO nice to have everything completed and filed or binned), and enjoy fresh fruits of the season.

 

Let me know yours, and if you've found anywhere new to visit lately.

 

xx Fiona

 

 

PS. If you need something inspiring to read over the weekend, my latest book '100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life' is still available on Kindle Unlimited, for only for another week or so. You can see it here on Kindle, in paperback, and on Audible.

 

(My Amazon links are affiliate but the price doesn’t change for you, thank you if you choose to use my links!)choose to use my links!)

'Treat time' and, my first audiobook!

 

Good morning! It's been a lovely bright week here and I have exciting news.

Very soon my first audiobook is coming out! I am starting with '100 Ways to be That Girl' with more to come. It's been uploaded, it just takes a little time for it to filter through to all the different audiobook retailers such as Audible, Spotify and iTunes among others - 38 places in total including libraries! So keep an eye out for it but I'll definitely let you know when I spy it available. And, ask your online library to order the audiobook in for you!

I've decided to go with a professional voice actor for a premium listening experience. I always thought I preferred it when authors narrated their own books, but now I have changed my mind. I've listened to a sample of the lady I have chosen and I love how she brings this book alive.

And while that magic is happening, I get to carry on writing my next book :) I've been writing most days this week and it's such an enjoyable way to spend time.

Please tell me, which audiobook should I do next? Which title would you choose? Let me know!

 

If you haven’t already read ‘100 Ways to be That Girl’ you can order it here on Amazon Kindle and in paperback (also available on Kindle Unlimited).

‘That girl’ is who everyone wants to be. She has it all going on! Others wonder how she does it so well. In this book I’ll share all her secrets.

Her message is all about standing out from the crowd and harnessing the power of how ‘she’ would be, to instantly:

- Become unforgettable
- Feel happier and more confident
- Stop worrying about what others think of you
- Power ahead in your own life
- Feel unshakeable

‘That girl’ is our alter ego, the one who has more fun, makes more money, and is better looking.

Let’s cultivate our 'that girl' persona and see how fabulous life can get. Age or body size are no barrier to creating our dream life, with the help of our inner ‘that girl’. We are going to be ‘that girl’ in our own life, the leading lady in our own movie!

It was so fun to write this book. I got to be a little over the top, but as usual with my writing, it is also grounded in reality. It always pays to have the best of both worlds I believe!

If you have a friend who you think might enjoy this book too, please share this post with them 😊

(My Amazon link is affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I’m appreciative if you choose to use my links!)

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Celebrating Valentines Day this week with my Starbucks cup from a few years back. I love the jaunty beret lid! Both for the practicality (I love my drinks piping hot) and the cuteness of it 😍

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Summer tomatoes from our garden :)
'Black' and yellow cherry tomatoes

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This is the view into the living room from our patio. They wait there stalking us for treats when we are relaxing after work 🤣

When your doggies tone in with your decor perfectly 😂🧡🧡

I get the feeling they are training me... The way it should be: me training them not to beg for treats, is still a work in progress, and I've been trying for six years now.

How the treat begging goes: Daphne (on the right here) suddenly sits up straight while also tippety-tapping her paws animatedly. She fixes a very pointed, expectant gaze on me like I've just offered her a treat.

Then, when I don't respond by going and getting a treat for everydoggy, she does a loud 'cack' bark. Just one sharp bark to alert me that I have in fact forgotten I need to go and get her a treat.

Then Micky dog (not pictured), joins in and starts a high-pitched huffy whine.

That, interspersed with Daphne's periodic 'cack' bark really crimps my relaxing atmosphere and Penny Vincenzi book reading I can tell you.

I don't want to give in but I do, every time. Chloe (pictured on the left here) waits patiently for her treat because she knows Daphne and Micky are doing all the work for her.

This happens every. single. night. And multiple times a night often too.

So.

It's really fun to have three dogs 🤣🤣

'Fun'.

Do your doggies do this? Badger you into treats? Or I am just too soft a dog mum?

I don't know how to fix the situation so I just follow their lead and hand out the treats 😂 But I do break them in half so they aren't getting too many. I'm 'that' dog mum haha!

Happy almost weekend, it's Friday here, yay! And this weekend is the big Art Deco celebration in Napier that people come from all around the world to see. We have English guests staying with my aunty at the moment who came at this time to do the Art Deco thing.

It's beautifully sunny and settled weather too, so that's fabulous for all the events that are on.

We might pop along and see what's happening as well. It would be wrong not to when it's all on our doorstep.

Happy weekend to you!

xx Fiona

Summer hygge and dressing up

 

Good evening from a recent family dinner at home. I loved this outfit I put together and felt really good in it!

I usually wear my colourful tops with blue or white jeans, and have worn these gold pants with my neutral tops, but I wanted something more summery and came up with this.

What else can I mix up in my wardrobe I wonder…?

I am not the type to have outfits planned out in advance. It works better for me to have everything clean, pressed and ready to wear, and I get to pair things up as I’m getting dressed. It feels fresher that way :)

I used to iron as I went, using the excuse that things would get creased in my closet anyway, but that was incorrect. I just never wore the unironed clothes! Now I iron them straight away, and even iron linen damp from the washing machine.

When I forget about how fun it is to dress myself it turns into a chore, but when I remember, yay!

I wrote a book called ‘The Chic Closet’, and it’s for those of us who love to look nice, but are also a little bit… lazy. Is it such a crime to want everything to be easy and effortless including getting dressed? As you’ve probably heard me say before, I like things to be fun and easy, and ‘The Chic Closet’ follows this formula.

When you inspire yourself to do something it doesn’t feel hard or dull, it’s… fun and easy!

 
If you too wish you were more of a fashionista but can’t really be bothered and wish it was easier to get motivated, go and check out the sample of ‘The Chic Closet’ on Amazon and see what you think.

I love it when one little phrase or idea gives you a zing and you rush off to put it into action. I really hope my books do that for you!

 

 

I do love a laundromat for washing my big duvet inners and blankets. There is one right by my supermarket and the 35-minute wash cycle is a perfect time to get my grocery shopping done.

I then take my wet washing home and hang it on the clothesline. With the early 30s C (85-90 F) weather we have been having it’s dry in no time ☀️☀️☀️

I love it when little things like this work out perfectly!

My Christmas tree and all other festive decor has been packed away, but I am reluctant to give up these candles so I'm burning them a little longer.

They are SO pretty. Each candle is a beautiful metallic red 'house' with clear windows so you can see the light inside, and the fragrance is gorgeous as well (from Australian brand Glasshouse Candles, 'Night Before Christmas - Dancing Sugar Plums'). And they have red metallic lids for when I'm not using them which also look lovely.

I still have a lot of wax to go, and I know they will look great too with 2-3 tealights in each, once they are empty.

I am one who fully believes hygge can be a year-round thing, right down to lighting my favourite candles when it's hot outside!

(See the leopard print cushion on the left? Chloe dog just loves to curl up on it and flatten the carefully curated aesthetic...)

Please keep warm and safe if it's wild winter weather where you are ❤️

xx Fiona

PS. Also pictured, my book ‘A Chic and Simple Christmas’, because, why not? After all, it’s never too soon to start planning your next year’s festive season while this past one is fresh in your mind. It’s a great time to jot a few notes down about what you loved and what worked well during this holiday season, and what you did NOT enjoy and will change next Christmas.

It’s here on Amazon in paperback and Kindle:

 

And the eBook is in my eStore here for an Amazon alternative.

 

(My Amazon link is affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you if you choose to use my links!)
 

 

 

 

 

Christmas week happenings

 

Hello chic friends,

It's the last week before Christmas! In order to feel peaceful and relaxed, I am planning to be less busy than other years. I want to mostly stay at home, and keep a simple daily schedule of writing and playing, and keep away from the shops as much as possible.

I've just finished reading a book called 'The Wake Up Call' by Beth O'Leary, and although it took me a while to get into it, I did enjoy it. I even had happy tears in my eyes near the end. I love books like that!

So my reading schedule is wide open for my next read. Yay! Let me know what you've enjoyed lately. I do have a long, long list of yummy books to dive into, both on my shelves and my Kindle but am always open to new titles. I think that's 'why' I have a long list to read :)

I do still have a few errands to run though, so it's fun to dress nicely and enjoy them. Even though it's a busy time for people, it's a jovial atmosphere.

I am not hosting Christmas this year, but my contribution to Christmas dinner is a potato gratin. So, so delicious. I have a three kilogram bag of potatoes and will probably use all of them. I think there are at least 14 people attending, and extra gratin never goes amiss. There is rarely any left over!

~~

 

We are currently having our house re-roofed after many issues with leaks this year (it’s been a rainy 2023 in Hawke’s Bay).

Micky dog is a sensitive boy, and jumps at the slightest noise. Opening a can of fizzy drink is scary, and once he even took fright when I was putting hand cream on and there was a tiny squelching noise. That was his best one, haha.

So you can only imagine his poor beating heart with all the drilling, hammering, and crashing going on above our heads last week and this week.

In this photo I was doing my Pilates class and Micky moved ON to the mat for comfort. Amazingly I could do pretty much everything I needed to do, and it was quite lovely to cuddle into him doing a child’s pose or side ways kicks :)

 

At one particularly loud-roof-noise point I had ALL THREE dogs on my mat. It was getting ridiculous! Anyway, I got through my class fine, and it was only half an hour to play doggie Twister through.

Shout out to ‘Move With Nicole’ on YouTube for such amazing classes. There are tons of them (beginner, intermediate and advanced – I am on intermediate classes). She is friendly and smiley, and gives the best instructions. They are clear, and the classes are enjoyable. She provides an incredible free service. Thank you Nicole!

And we are all looking forward to our roof being finished this week. Yes, a new roof for Christmas. Aren’t we lucky? Father Christmas will have to land his sleigh on the lawn this year. We don’t want to scratch the paint on our new roof :)

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A lovely dinner outside :)

It always amazes me how the simplest things can make an everyday meal more special.

Here:

- A rush table mat
- French linen dinner napkin
- A napkin ring
- Fabric coasters
- Sparkling water
- A glass of wine
- Yummy and fresh salad and protein dinner
- Sitting outside on the patio

And of course, jazz music in the background. My husband Paul has curated his favourite jazz tracks into one big playlist, which we listen to on shuffle/random just about every night. You are welcome to listen to it too if you are a jazz fan! It's here on Spotify, free for anyone.

And even if you're not you might find some new music to enjoy :)

~~

 

Christmas lilies in the hall make the whole house smell beautiful

~~

 

The stockings are up!

Doggies Chloe, Micky, and Daphne are all waiting for their stockings to be filled with treats for Christmas (they love Duck Tenders or Chicken Biscuits).

I didn't buy a stocking for Nina cat because she has Temptations for a treat and they would get lost in the bottom, haha. Also, she likes to differentiate herself from the dogs. She refuses to use the same water bowl, and has even started waiting at the door to be let in or out, rather than use the cat door because the dogs use it too.

Nina said she is not a diva, just a lady with high standards :)

I hope your week is going well and that you get to enjoy the season as well as getting everything done.

xx Fiona

PS. If you need a little Christmas inspiration, check out my book 'A Chic and Simple Christmas' on Amazon here. It's not too late to add a little sparkle to your mindset!

 

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