The Twenty Ideas Method

Image from lesfrancs.com

A great technique to come up with our own inspiration is to set yourself a question that you’d like answered and then come up with twenty answers to that question.  It could be your key problem or your most pressing goal.  Or, just something for fun.

Don’t think too much about the answers, just write.  By asking yourself a question, your mind automatically starts generating answers.  It can't help itself!  Write down everything that comes to mind even if outlandish, as there might be a gem of an idea in that answer. 

I learned the idea from Brian Tracy and he attributed it to Earl Nightingale.  In my head I called the technique Twenty Questions but it wasn’t until ages later I realised it’s not twenty questions, it’s twenty answers… and when I re-read my original notes it was called The Twenty Ideas Method.  I do worry about myself sometimes.

The first ten are easy but the second ten not as easy, as you’d imagine.  If you start running out of ideas, look back at your answers already written and write the opposite of any that this can be applied to.  Try and get to twenty even if it's like getting blood out of a stone (Brian's words) as that's when the magic happens.

I’ve written out a number of lists so far and find them very inspiring and motivating.  They also calm me and make me feel happy.

Here is one of the questions I asked myself and the answers:

How can I live a more simple life?

1.  Have less possessions

2.  Have only those possessions that I need and that bring joy to and have meaning for me.

3.  Not require much money to be content

4.  Be less material

5.  Go to bed early

6.  Eat simple and clean foods

7.  Do not replace items once they are used up if I won’t miss them

8.  Be realistic about what crafts I want to carry on with

9.  Be realistic about what books I want in my life

10.  Be honest with others about what I want

11.  See/keep in touch with the people who are important to me more – make a list of those people, both family and friends

12.  Simplify the colours I have in my life, both home furnishings and what I dress myself in

13.  Live away from the city

14.  Live right in the city

15.  Think about something before I bring it home, even if it is just 50c at the Salvation Army

16.  Not be afraid to let go belongings from my life so they can benefit someone else

17.  Be serene and calm

18.  Enjoy the refreshing cool water we have available to us by drinking several glasses daily and having one when I feel hungry between meals

19.  Drink herbal tea

20.  Clear out the paper clutter at home and at work

21.  Be up to date with my work and spend time on the computer productively

22.  Spend less

23.  Spend more (fewer items/higher quality)

I got to 23!  I also have other questions that I’ve dreamed up such as:

What excites me most right now?

How does my perfect lifestyle look?

What do I want to be known for?

How can I use my time wisely today?

Brian says if you do a question with twenty answers each day, you’ll have thousands of new ideas a year.  Even if you do it for just one month you will have six hundred new ideas.

What is the first question that pops into mind for you?  Answers too if you’re happy to share them!

Investment Dressing

Image from Mademoiselle Coco Chanel Summer 1962 book.  J'adore the cocktail ring.

Following on from my previous post, in which I professed my love and admiration for the Country Road store in the nineties, I’d like to relate to you my first experience with investment dressing around the same time.

I worked for a financial planner then, as her secretary.  One day an incentive arrived in the mail from one of the companies we dealt with.  Submit $X of new business by a certain date and qualify for a Country Road gift voucher.  It was a decent amount for twenty years ago, I think $800.  I couldn’t believe it, that gift voucher would be my dream! 

When my boss saw the promotion, she promised me if we reached the target, I could have the voucher.  I’ve never worked on commission before but all of a sudden I saw how motivating it could be and I was ringing customers and updating profiles like nobody’s business.  We reached the target and ‘my’ vouchers arrived in the mail.  My boss made good on her promise and off I went to see what to buy. 

I eventually settled on a wonderful basis for the perfect capsule wardrobe looking back (Janice at The Vivienne Files would be proud).  

I chose, all in the same mid-weight black crepe:

- a pair of slim-leg flat-front pants

-a just-above-the-knee wrap skirt fastened with two buttons on the waistband

- a figure skimming unstructured blazer style jacket (three buttons I think)

- and a lined sleeveless round-neck top with an invisible zip in one side seam. 

I made the following outfits with these pieces:

- Top and skirt

- Top and pants

- Top and skirt, with jacket

- Top and pants, with jacket

- Jacket (done up) and skirt

- Jacket (done up) and pants 

Each piece mixed in with many other items in my wardrobe, and I also wore different scarves with my black outfits.

Wearing just the jacket done up over the skirt or pants felt quite cosmopolitan and fashiony to me, and paired with high heels and a scarf I was dressed for dinner or an evening event, but I also wore each item in work outfits often.

I wore those four pieces for at least a decade and always felt good in them.  That was probably my first lesson in investment dressing.  I bought the entire outfit all at once and paid full price (with my gift vouchers of course).  

That in itself was sadly highly unusual for me.  My usual mode of operation would be to buy lots of mis-matching items on special and have no actual outfits to show for it.  I think because the voucher was ‘free money’ it gave me ‘permission’ to ‘blow it’ on something outrageous like, gasp, full-price merchandise.

Thinking back, if I’d carried on like this, only buying outstanding clothing items I really loved and needed that were purchases which fitted into my overall wardrobe plan, I probably would have spent a similar amount or less money and had a small yet amazing French-style wardrobe.  C’est la vie!  It’s never too late to start though, is it?

I obviously didn’t make the connection at the time between buying the pieces full price all at once and loving and wearing those items to bits over the years.  It reinforces one does not need to shop often, but wait until you really need something and by then hopefully the money is saved and you can go out shopping for that perfect item at the beginning of the season when all sizes and colours are still available.

Thinking back to my Country Road four-piece outfit experience, it has reinforced that I want to enjoy the clothing I already have, streamline out items I don’t care for much, and wait to shop until I have gaps in my wardrobe that need to be filled.  At that time I will make considered decisions on what items to buy and how they will best enhance my personal style.

What kind of shopper are you?  What kind of shopper would you like to be?

Chic Mentors – Country Road

From Country Road on Instagram

On my list of chic mentors, I don’t just have people, I also have a handful of retail stores.  Is that strange?  I don’t think so.  Retail stores spend a lot of time, money and expertise in creating a compelling feeling of wanting to buy into the lifestyle they offer.  Ralph Lauren is a master, and another closer to home for me is Country Road.

In the nineties my absolute favourite store to daydream in (and about) was Country Road.  Country Road is an Australian clothing and homewares store and the things it used to stand for were authentic materials which were classic and simple in style and made to last. 

I think they were ahead of their time in New Zealand and Australia as there weren’t really stores that had a complete lifestyle vision like Country Road.  If you had the money, you could dress both your home and body there.  I remember the blonde-wood simplified sleigh bed, the scrubbed wood kitchen table, the wide-striped cotton tea-towels and perfectly classic wardrobe items.

Nothing is forever of course, and in the late nineties a huge corporation bought Country Road and now it is not a patch on the store it was then (in my opinion).  As with a lot of brands most of their products are now made in the Far East, whereas back then, their production was done in Australia and I even have a Country Road wool jersey that is made in New Zealand. 

The styles have changed too (or maybe I have?).  They are now fast, slightly classic fashion rather than the chic wardrobe basics they used to be.  Like everyone else, they want to stay alive in the cut-throat business of fashion retailing.  In addition, it now seems like every other week they are having sales and big discounts which makes you question their normal prices and not want to pay full price.

That doesn’t stop me being inspired by what they used to be like though.  At the time I had very few items bearing the brand simply because of their price compared to what I was earning and also due to the fact I was a new homeowner with a decent mortgage.  I used to browse at least once a week though, do a little window-shopping on my lunch break to re-inspire myself to live a beautiful and simple life and also see what new and desirable items they had.

Country Road put out slim seasonal catalogues that were as inspiring as any lifestyle magazine and they even issued a magazine once.  I kept it for many years and eventually decluttered it.  I’d still love it today I think.  I remember they interviewed ‘normal’ people about their favourite Country Road piece of clothing and of course they’d had that piece for years and worn it with everything.

One woman in the magazine said how much she loved her Country Road towels and that they lasted forever because they were such good quality.  Well, I am a good consumer so one Christmas in the mid-nineties I requested two Country Road towels as my gift.  Yes, I received strange looks when everyone else was opening many little items and I had… two towels.  But I loved those towels – thick and fluffy, palest ecru ribbed cotton.  I’d never had towels like them and they did in fact last a long, long time before they were eventually donated to the SPCA.

The Country Road approach to functional, perfect, well-made pieces reminds me of Ralph Lauren’s aesthetics.  In his self-written book (the giant sized one), Ralph talked about how as a young man with not a lot of money he preferred utilitarian items such as an army surplus jacket or an old wooden piece of furniture.  Items that are made honestly with good quality materials in a quality way that means they are going to last a long time. 

This take me back to the thought of investing in quality – and quality doesn’t necessarily mean expensive (not all the time anyway).  But you have to have an eye for good quality, no matter the price-point.

The kinds of ideas I get from Mr Lauren are:

• Appreciating old and battered things, whether they are adorning the home or the body

• Embracing utility items

• Looking after your possessions, care for them and show them respect

• Keeping something for a long time and mending or fixing if need be

• Gathering furniture and clothing over time to create your own unique style

• Aiming for style, not fashion. 

I like to relive these thoughts every now and then to remind me not to be swayed by the new and shiny.  To enjoy using and looking after the quality items I’ve come by in the past and be selective about what I allow into my life in the future.

What’s the first item that comes to mind for you?  What have you had and loved for its quality, usefulness and good looks for a long, long time?  People and pets excluded because they go without saying!

Ways to Bring More French Chic Into Your Life

Séduit par Géraniums by Roxanne Steed.  Roxanne's blog has so many of her gorgeous paintings. Click here to see.

I often like to remind myself of my original excitement for the French Chic lifestyle and make little notes to bring my thoughts back to that.  These corrections from time to time keep me happy with my simple life and ensure I am on the track I want to be on.

It’s really going back to basics, but sometimes that’s fun to read about too, and as I said above, this reminds me of the early days of my enthusiasm about the world of French Chic.

Here are my ideas:

Eat as if in France – real, good food and perhaps look up the principles of the Mediterranean diet for ideas.

When I have a coffee or a cold drink, don’t eat at the same time (French girls don’t snack between meals).  When I first started this, it was hard.  I associated a morning cafe au lait with a muffin or something similar.  Now I don't even think about eating anything, the coffee is enough mid-morning.  I am now working on eliminating a snack at my after-work/pre-dinner drink time!

Enjoy yoghurt daily and a small piece of cheese every now and then.

Decorate like we live in a Parisian apartment – neat and tidy, streamlined and sparse, in a chic and stylish way of course.

Dress how I would imagine a French woman would – small, precise, quality wardrobe of limited colours which are best for me.  A recognisable style which others can see easily is ‘me’.

Keep hair regularly trimmed and coloured.  Wash hair every second day and do not be tempted to stretch it out to a third.

Keep makeup light and fresh.  Use the tiniest amount of foundation and spend time on my eye makeup.

Play French music at home, both old and new to keep that feeling of French charm and lightness within me.

How I act/my demeanour:  To put a spring in my step, imagine my name is Dominique and I live in Paris.  Pretend I am her as I go throughout my day.

Knit, crochet and sew – be creative.  I read on annebarone.com a long time ago that having a handcraft to do prevented mindless snacking as you couldn’t knit or do needlepoint if your hands were sticky from chocolate or greasy from potato chips.  I always like to have my hands busy when I’m watching tv or a movie so try to keep a project by the sofa.

Read, both the chic-lit I enjoy plus books which challenge me a little.  Also read more classics.  My mother alternates writing styles – something fun and then something a bit more meaty so she has a good balance.  In the past year or so I've read some thriller/crime mysteries and really enjoyed them.

Be light-hearted and channel Audrey Hepburn.  She didn’t take herself too seriously yet was a beautiful spirit.

Be slim and slender.  Yes, spend time on our menus and creating good food, but don’t make food a huge part of my life.  Once I have sorted that day’s and perhaps the next day’s food, I can forget about it.

Watch a favourite movie or tv programme set in France.  I have fond memories of the Peter Mayle tv mini-series A Year In Provence (based on the book) from the 90s and now have it on dvd.  John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan star, and it has such a lovely warm feeling about it.  Definitely comfort tv a la Francaise!

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What would you add to this list?  What’s your favourite way to bring more French Chic into your life?

Downton Abbey

I’m finally up to date in the world of Downton Abbey.  I’ve been ignoring it for a while but couldn’t miss someone raving about it seemingly every corner I turned.  Even though I usually avoid period dramas like the plague, I knew I would have to watch Downton Abbey to see what all the fuss was about.

It was amazing.  Such a well-written drama, witty dialogue and laugh out loud funny moments (mostly over Dame Maggie Smith’s lines which were delivered in her inimitable way).  Julian Fellowes, the writer, is a very clever man.

It’s hard to choose a character, but if I could most choose one to be like, it would be Lady Mary Crawley.  I adore the way she speaks, in a low, slow voice and it’s rare to see her flustered or over-excited.  She is very calm and measured.  All the women are elegant and gracious and inspire me to be more lady-like.

Amongst the backdrop of their very privileged (and endangered) lifestyle, I love that the women in the family cultivate simple pleasures such as needlepoint, reading and taking tea.  Everyone speaks quite formally to one another, and if there is a cross word, it is either said straight, or in some cases couched in very witty and clever phrase.

The women dress very modestly but still fashionably.  As the series progress, seeing the twenties fashions were a real treat and I’d happily wear those today.  The women in the family always have their hair either in a chic updo, or styled into a faux bob.  You realise just how long their hair is when they are dressing for bed at night time, but it is never down and loose in public (and by public I mean the rooms of the house where the men are, as well as outside the house).

Both men and women dress very formally and take the time to make themselves look attractive.  It’s not all about comfort – no-one slouches around in track pants and ugg boots there.  I’m not saying I want to go back to corsets, but we have gone quite far the other way which is a shame.

Their huge castle must be freezing, and the way they dress in this environment is quite impractical, but that’s the wonderful thing about Downton Abbey, ‘practical’ doesn’t ever seem to be in their vocabulary.  They dress up in beautiful clothing, change for dinner every night and have a valet or a ladies maid to help them dress.  You don’t have to do your own laundry and every little thing is done by someone else.  All you have to do is enjoy your life (until the money runs out of course).  Apart from the finance thing, doesn’t that sound glorious?

I believe watching this programme has had a positive effect on me.  Having it as a mind influencer makes me feel more ladylike myself, more feminine and gracious.  I do not want to swear or raise my voice.  I am content to be serene and feminine and fill my life with good jobs and a life well lived.

Are you a Downton Abbey fan?  What’s your favourite ‘takeaway’ from this series?