A touch of red

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There is nothing that feels more chic to me than a touch of red.  I have a few torn-out pages of Victoria magazine from the late 1980s showcasing the French girl’s classic style.  Of course she wore a Breton top in one picture and a white cotton shirt with navy blazer in another, but her red lip colour was what drew the whole look together and made her look so ‘French’.

I also remember a home I saw photographed in Elle Decoration UK.  Like my Victoria pages it was many years ago (the nineties this time, I’m moving up the decades!).  The living room which caught my eye had off-white walls and simple mid-toned timber, giving a modern light and airy effect.  What made me tear those pages out were the pair of red sofas surrounded by all that neutral.  They weren’t bright red, but a liveable soft red.  I’d happily have that room today from the memory of it.

I love Ralph Lauren’s casual Americana style too, and a soft, weathered red is a feature of this aesthetic (such as inthe beautiful barn image above).  The red, white and blue of a vintage American flag or a red and white hand-pieced quilt; there are so many ways for red to enhance a look.

Having a touch of red could even become what you are known for, not in a costumey way but rather a subtle dash.  It could be kept in your secret garden, in that you are the only person who knows about your love for this flourish.  I’m thinking of a touch of red in home décor, what you wear, in your garden.

My favourite décor colours are tones of caramel, crème, soft-white, beige, ochre, taupe, linen and many other permutations of warm neutrals.  A perfect addition to these beige and cream shades is a small amount of red.  I love this Instagram image from Distant Francophile, and her evocative description of the use of red in Paris.

Here are some ways to include small touches of red in your life:

• Red geraniums in a terracotta pot
• A beautiful scarf in a shade of red that becomes you.  There really is a red for every skin-tone:  true blue-red, warm orange-red, deep plum, soft pink-red.  In the summer your red scarf could be fluttery silk or a crisp cotton print, in the winter why not choose a cosy wool knit.
• My mum wears mostly neutrals, however when she needed to get reading glasses last year, she chose a pair of red frames and they look très chic on her.
• Red shoes with an otherwise neutral outfit.  I love how red shoes really liven up the classic combo of jeans and a black top.
• Red lipstick – ‘proper’ lipstick in red is not for me now, but I love to wear a sheer red, or use a normal red lipstick after applying lip balm such as Burt’s Bees which creates the same effect.
• A cheery, classic red on short fingernails or if red fingernails are a bit much for you, paint your toes red.  My preferred red at the moment is a pink-red or orange-red to look au courant.  Classic red will always be there though.
• A vintage-looking deep red Persian rug in an otherwise neutral room.
• Tea-towels and dinner napkins in red and cream striped linen or cotton fabric.
• Red capsicum (bell pepper) or cherry tomatoes to brighten up a dish such as a simple green salad or creamy chicken pasta.

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Are you a fan of a touch of red?  How do you like to wear, decorate, garden or cook with red?

How to create a calm and joyous life

Back in 2010 when I started this blog, I wanted a place that I’d love to go to.  I imagined what kind of articles I’d love to read and how they would make me feel.  I wanted to feel inspired to create beauty and elegance in my life at the same time as still being me.  I am a very practical person who values simplicity and thrift.  I don’t like to be wasteful and I consider myself a good steward of my resources.

So my chic and elegant blog looked different to other chic and elegant blogs.  Mine wasn’t about shopping and dressing up, although I do love nice things.  I sometimes think to myself ‘hmmm, for a blog called ‘How to be Chic’, I don’t often write about clothing and appearances’ which is what ‘chic’ is most often thought of.  I think I tend to be drawn to 'chicness of the mind'.  Diana Vreeland said ‘the only real elegance is in the mind; if you've got that, the rest really comes from it’, and I think it’s so true.

I could dress in all the chic accoutrements such as a little black dress and pearls, channelling Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but if I slouched and was sloppy I would not be like Audrey at all.  Audrey was chic in the most casual of clothes and I think this is true of any of our chic iconic ladies throughout history.  Through their elegant demeanour, way of being and the way they are in the world, they bring chic to whatever they are wearing, as well as their surroundings.

I still love to remember the way I felt when I started this blog and of the way I wanted to be in the world, because even though it was almost six years ago and lots of things have changed, there are other things that have not changed at all.  If anything, I’ve become more of who I am – valuing simplicity, peace of mind, quietude and creativity.

When I write I want to bring these feelings to others around me too, to those who crave slowing down, feeling serene and wanting to enjoy their everyday.  Rather than wish for our lives to be completely different when things get hectic and we feel ground down, I prefer to identify and weed out those things that are adding to the noise so that I can enjoy the rest, thus creating a calm and joyous way of living.

It takes time and patience, and over the years I’ve worked on different pockets of my life, helping them to flow with more ease so I can feel more peaceful.  It’s not always easy and sometimes you have to feel selfish and put yourself first.  But the times I’ve done this I’ve realised the only selfishness registering was in my mind.  It’s mind-blowing to look back at something that I had to psych myself into doing and then once I’d done something about it… nothing happened, except that life felt better.  Something that comes to mind is bringing up doing something different at Christmas or for your annual vacation when you’ve traditionally done 'X'.

I now have a list where I add items that are slightly bothersome in my life.  Mostly they are little, and over time I can tick them off.  It might be as simple as clearing a perpetually cluttery corner or dropping off a stack of magazines to the hospital waiting room.  Making a hair or dentist appointment is something I often let lag and it stays on my to-do list for too long.  It’s just a phone call!

‘It’s not the mountain in front of you that gets you down, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe’ is a quote I often remember.  Fix up the little things that are prickling at the edge of your serenity and life will be smoother.

So, what’s on your list?

All four series: 30 Chic Days

It was requested that I link to the first day of each of my 30 Chic Days series (I've done four so far), so it's easy to find them to read through.  I thought that was such a great idea, so here they are.  I hope you have fun reading through my 'vintage' 30 Chic Days Series.


30 Chic Days - Series 1:

This series is similar to my new book Thirty Chic Days: Practical inspiration for a beautiful life, in that it is 30 mini-essays dedicated to a small action or change that will bring about a more chic way of living.

Read Series 1, with Day 1 here; you can then click on Next Post underneath the comments, to go to Day 2, and Day 3 etc.

30 Chic Days - Series 2:

For the second 30 Chic Days series, I chose to keep uppermost in my mind the way I wished to live, focusing on all the small things I could do each day to lead me towards my goal of living a more chic, healthy and elegant life.

You can start Series 2, with Day 1 here.

30 Chic Days - Series 3:

The third series is similar to the first series, with each day being an easy chic tip or different way of thinking.

You can start Series 3 here.

Which leads us up to the most recent fourth series which we've just completed.

30 Chic Days - Series 4:

Series 4 started off with me detailing my day - what I ate, what I wore, any exercise completed etc, and then changed into a daily topic, as I very quickly ran out of different outfits and meal ideas, because... well, I like to keep my life simple.  It's funny that I didn't have enough to fill 30 days, but there you go, the 'chic minimal' way of life!

You can start Series 4, with Day 1 here.

I hope you enjoy going through these series, and if you are inspired to start your own 30 Chic Days Series, you can do so at any time and in whichever way you desire.  There are no rules or regulations; the most important thing is to make it fun and exciting, that way it will be a pleasure and not a chore.

If you do start your own series, please leave a comment under this post so we can all enjoy your chic posts!

{Lessons} 30 Chic Days – The Fourth Series: Day 30

Today, for the 30th Day in my 30 Chic Days Series I am going to share with you ten things I've learned over the past month.  I have a mixed relationship with 30 Chic Days - on the one hand I love the connection and momentum that gets going when I post daily; I also find I can do more and write more than I think I could have.  On the other hand, posting daily does require a lot - a lot of commitment, a lot of creativity, a lot of energy.

So here's my lessons learned during this, the fourth series of 30 Chic Days.

1. Self-care is important.  Giving yourself time to relax, read, groom, be, is not self-indulgent, it's a necessity.  You will have more to give to your loved ones when you feel filled up yourself.  Having 'white space' in between things to decompress is nice too.
   
2. Drink lots of water - I've been drinking more since reading the comments in yesterday's post because I don't want to get dementia when I'm older!  And I plan to go back to my old habit of drinking a big glass of water before I go to sleep.
   
3. Don't go overboard with the baking.  I gave myself a week's worth of off-and-on headaches from indulging in my desserts (it was the icecream I had with them - dairy and sugar are a lethal mix for me).  Everything in sparse moderation is the key.
   
4. Turn off the electronics.  I've been more in front of my laptop screen this month, however yesterday, when I finished my 'Boudoir Time' post in the afternoon and did not open my laptop after I arrived home from work, I actually practiced what I preached and enjoyed a soothing hour of boudoir time before turning the lights off just after 9pm.  It was just what I needed.
   
5. The comments are my favourite parts of each post.  There is so much collective wisdom and sharing from chic ladies all around the world.  Thank you for contributing!
   
6. As with a previous 30 Chic Days series, when you think you can't do something, you can.  Committing to an action and following through with it is very satisfying, and it builds your 'completion muscle'.  When I quickly ran out of meal and outfits to post about I had the choice to quit early or change what I was posting.  I wanted to be a finisher so I changed the format of my 30 Chic Days posts.
   
7. Enjoy your wins.  I am so thrilled with how popular my new book has been, both with how many ladies have purchased a copy and also the reviews.  I'm not one to go out and buy something big and fancy to celebrate, but every so often I'll just take a moment to say to myself 'well done you'.  And sometimes a win is as simple as being able to tick off your last to-do listing of the day or know that you've honoured yourself by eating in a healthful way the whole day.
   
8. Partake in fun stuff - every day!  I worked a lot the past thirty days, both in my actual job, plus on my blog and writing (which doesn't feel like a job but it's still something I need to get done because I said I would).  But I also had time every day to read something interesting, watch something fun like Gossip Girl (oh my goodness... Chuck Bass, so hot!), and take photos of our cats doing silly things.  I also love that my mum, sister (and sometimes brother too) often start a 'round robin' type email which progressively gets sillier and sillier the longer it is passed back and forth.  The topic starts out as a normal email, but then disintegrates very quickly, often with hilarious results.
   
9. Move your body.  I know this sounds totally boring to say 'exercise', but now that I am in the habit of walking daily, I love it so much and really miss it if I have to miss a day.  Some days I only go out for twenty minutes and some days it's an hour.  In the past thirty days I've missed less than five days total and I can live with that.  I honestly never thought I'd see the day when I looked forward to exercise.
   
10. And finally, be good to yourself!  Even though I'm much, much better about talking nicely to myself than I used to be, I still found I was being mean to myself every so often.  I would sometimes treat myself like a workhorse and give no thanks either!  There's only so often you can put up with that before you start rebelling against yourself.  Now I treat myself just as I would anyone else i.e. nicer.  When we consider what is reasonable by applying it to a loved one, we very quickly come to see that we have way higher standards for ourselves than we would ever expect from someone else.  It's exhausting!  I think that's when I procrastinate, self-sabotage and resist too, so it actually is counter-productive.

Thank you so much for being a part of this series of 30 Chic Days, I hope you had fun too.  I'd love to hear of your takeaway(s), either from one of my posts or the many fabulous comments.

We have to give Margaret P a merit award for 'most comprehensive comments' too.  Step up and take a bow, Margaret!  This series of 30 Chic Days wouldn't have been the same without you.