Biggest post ever! And the once-a-year sale :)

 

 Hello chic friends!

Gosh, today's post is so jam-packed I don't know where to start. Shall I begin with what we did on the weekend?

This is my husband Paul and I at the Robbie Williams concert. Robbie played at a local winery - how lucky are we to live ten minutes down the road! We got there really early to get a good spot, and there was a little waiting around... six hours... until he started. But it was the most beautiful sunny day, plenty of sunscreen on, and other acts played before him.

We met lovely people around us and had a chat. We also had yummy gluten-free pasta for an early dinner from one of the food caravans. And a couple of glasses of bubbles plus LOTS of water. I went through a 1.5 litre by myself and refilled it again.

And Robbie was a superstar! What a show. Laser lights, fabulous visuals while he sung, and he can sing. What a voice. He promo-ed his Netflix documentary quite a lot :) Oh, do you have a Netflix show Robbie? But it was all good fun.

And I went to bed soooo late for me (midnight) and had to have a little sleep-in the next day. There were a lot of very happy people with many drinks and I'm glad I wasn't one of them!

Moderation seems so dull at the time but you are very happy about it the next day :)

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And in home news, our outdoor area is now complete! It has been a long journey which we began a couple of years ago by dreaming about a resort-style patio that we could use year round.

 

 

 

 

One day out at lunch at a local restaurant, I saw they had this metal structure over their outdoor area with pull-down clear sides. There was a small plaque with the name of the company who'd made it and they were also local so... I rung them to come around and do us a quote.

 

 

We also took the opportunity to paint our house and have outdoor tiling laid. Our previous patio was concrete with small stones in it which hurt your feet. There was also a large crack the whole width of the patio from the earth moving over time since it had been laid twenty years ago.

 

 

It was lucky everything took so long to come into place as it gave us time to save up along the way, which was my goal (not to go into debt for our plans). And the final, finishing touch, we had our new outdoor furniture delivered a few weeks ago.

 

 

Thank you for all your solid advice - I chose dark cushions for our outdoor sofas!

 

 

We wanted to make a rule of 'no pets on the outdoor sofas' as they drop hair, but you can see how well that went...

 

 

 

 

Oh well :)

 

 

Sweet Daphne's leg scar from when she injured herself earlier in the year.
She is as good as new now :)

 

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My friend Tanya came around for lunch the other day, and we dined outside on the new patio area. We try and meet once a month, alternating at each other's house.

But we do something a bit different in that the person who is coming to lunch brings the lunch, and we always have sushi :)
 

 

 

I made a sweet for afters, a delicious Lemon Bar recipe from the Starbucks website.

I don't bake a lot, just when I have people around (which actually has been quite a lot lately!) And I love that home-baking is completely customisable. I can use gluten-free flour (I am celiac), and I also lower the sugar a little.

Here is the recipe here if you want to take a peek:

https://athome.starbucks.com/recipe/lemon-bars

I learned new things such as 'what is a quarter sheet' (amazingly I had one and I have hardly any baking gear) and translated the quantities and oven setting.

It's always lovely to catch up with a friend!

 

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And finally, to end this post on a fun note, I'm thrilled to share with you that today is the first day of my BIG ONCE A YEAR BOOK SALE!

 

 

 

Once a year, in November, I hold a book sale and this year is no exception.

For a short time all of my Kindle books are only $3.99 (many are priced up to $9.99 usually), and my paperbacks are reduced as well, around 40% off for my longer books and the smaller books have a dollar or two off.

It's time to stock up on any titles you might not have and really set yourself up to be a chic success coming into 2024!

You can find all sale books here on Amazon, on Kindle and in print.

And for an Amazon alternative you can download all of my titles in eBook format from my eStore here.

My books are on various topics, but all come under the umbrella of living a beautiful life without spending a ton of money. They are a blend of cultivating a fabulous mindset, and of elevating your daily life and surroundings with luxurious touches. Plus, everything has to be fun and easy, because why would you want to do it any other way?

I hope you enjoy the sale, and if you have any friends that you think might like my books, please share this post with them!

xx Fiona

PS. My Amazon links are 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!

Here are a few of my 20+ book titles available :)

 

 

Writing, and reading - books are such good friends!

Casual date night going out to a local restaurant :)

Hello chic friends!

 

I've been writing lots in my cozy little home office and I've almost finished my next book! So happy! I only have a little bit to go and then it's on to proof reading and editing.

I have had help editing some of my books in the past, but at this stage I prefer it to be just me. My 'voice' is kept intact, and I get to learn a new skill. I don't do any editing until right at the end, when I take my writer's hat off and put my editor's hat on.

If I can bear to leave it for a while it's easier too. But often by the time I've finished writing a book I've forgotten what the first half of the book was about so it's all okay!

 

 

I'm so happy and grateful that this fun work is my job. And that you, my lovely audience enjoy my books. I feel like I've won the lifestyle lottery much of the time!

So thank you for being wonderful, and here's cheers to another book coming soon. I can't wait for you to read it!

xx Fiona
 

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PS. I just finished reading this book too! What a rolicking pure fiction ride. So good for a debut author. I love to read (or watch) stories with 'heart', and this one definitely had heart. The characters were real on the page, and I always appreciate quirky details. Would recommend! 

 

And some of my books, because, why not? :)

 

Most recent:

 

 

 Most popular:

Most loved:

(My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you if you choose to use my links!)

My birthday afternoon tea

Yes, I held another ladies afternoon tea last weekend, and it was for my own birthday this time! I baked a cake... from a box, but still a cake, and added delicious fresh strawberries. YUM.

 

 

It was a beautiful spring day, better than forecast, and we all had a lovely time. I wore my dress that makes me feel like a princess too. I do love a dramatic sleeve, don't you?

 

Everyone brought a plate and we had bubbles before our tea and coffee, as per usual.

 

 

And the next day was to relax and read, watch movies, walk the dogs, potter round the house and generally have a wonderful at-home Sunday. My favourite kind!

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And after such nice weather, Daphne and Chloe got to tuck up all cozy on a drizzly spring day earlier this week. I think it's so cute how they are always snuggled together - no matter the weather!

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And finally, I visited my friend Jen (she used to be my neighbour and lost her home in the floods :(

She had the most beautiful roses from her new garden on the table. Aren't they stunning? Shades of pink, gold and blush all mixed together is one of my favourite combos.

It was so nice to catch up. I took Daphne and Chloe to visit their friend Teddy the poodle. (Mickydog was being groomed. He is spick and span and looking like a puppy now!)

I hope you are having a lovely week too.

xx Fiona

 

(My book links are affiliated with Amazon, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you)

Where I spent my birthday!

 

Hello chic friends, it was my birthday this past week (and my husband Paul's too - we have the same birthday one year apart :)

 

Guess where we spent our birthday? In prison! Only for a little while though.

We had friends staying for the long weekend and we all took a tour of the historic Napier Prison. It was so interesting.

And thankfully they let us out too!

52 and 53!

 

Hello from beautiful Hawke's Bay in the spring! This is the view from the paddock looking up to our home. If you look closely you can see our new outdoor area's roof.

It's lovely to have a paddock and walk the dogs off-leash in their own private 'park'. Just make sure to dodge the cow pats!

This week I did a second interview with the delightful Annemarie Stolting, for her podcast Let's Slow Down. Annemarie is such a great interviewer with great questions and comments.

The episode should be released next month and I can't wait for you to hear it. We had such a fun time chatting. I think I may have spoken really fast in my excitement so I really hope you can understand my Kiwi accent easily! LOL!

In the episode we discuss how to feel calm and peaceful during the holiday season, my morning routine, how I became a self-published work-from-home author, and lots of other fun bits and pieces.

You can listen to our first episode together here.

The book we discussed in next month's episode: 'A Chic and Simple Christmas' is still on special for a few more days - it will go back to its normal price on Monday, so if you don't already have it this is your chance to get it at a discounted price.

 

 

The Kindle and paperback versions are both reduced on Amazon at my affiliate link.

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

 

 

And finally, it's me again. I forgot to post this when I went to see the Barbie movie! I know it's old news now, but what did you think? I enjoyed the fun parts of it and the inside jokes. I loved Ken and Barbie, and all the other Barbies, and how Ken's job was 'beach' :)

But I also thought it was a missed opportunity because it felt a little weird. Like it was just a ton of scenes glued together (I know that's what a movie is, but, you know ;). It could have had more heart I think.

Still, I'm glad I went got to see it. Whenever I go to the movies I always think how good it is and that I'm going to do it more often and then it's another 3-4 months until I go again :)

What good is coming up? Have you been lately and what would you recommend? And what did you think of Barbie? If you can remember back that far!

 

Enjoy the rest of your week, it's the weekend here! Friday night - yahoo!

xx Fiona

 

 

 

Afternoon tea, and this month's book sale!

 

We had ladies afternoon tea recently! It was held in honour of my aunt's 82nd birthday. We had such a fun time, and I don't know how it happened, but we now also have bubbles before we start on the coffee and tea. Oops!

Everyone brings a plate. I made the soft white bread sandwiches (cucumber, and chicken, mayo and parsley), and I bought some coconut macaroon cookies. I don't usually keep them in the house because the first time I tried them I ate the whole packet of seven cookies all at once. They were THAT good.

I played 'PLÜM Radio' on Spotify and had a relaxing flyover YouTube video of the Greek Islands on the tv in the other room. And of course candles and my essential oil diffuser were going.

I love to create an ambience! (selfishly as much for me as for my guests).

The birthday girl unwrapped her lovely presents - the afternoon tea ladies swap small, nice gifts. I gave her a facial cleansing lotion and two face flannels in her favourite autumn-tone pumpkin shade. When she unwrapped it she said, 'ooh this colour is nice'.

And then at the end, everyone went home with the divvied up leftover goodies on paper plates.

I love ladies afternoon tea! And next time it will be mine, with my birthday soon!

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This is my mum's dog Milly - she was sweet 16 a few months back! My doggies love it when Milly comes to visit. They run around so happy to see their cousin 🥰 Or maybe she is their aunty?

 

 

No matter the title, they love to greet her when she arrives. Although it is a bit overwhelming for Milly with three younger dogs (‘younger’ = 7, 9, and 12) bustling around her in a frenzy of excitement. She is probably pleased when it's time to go home!

Milly is a busy little dog, even in her retirement. She is sitting by the fire in the first photo, but for most of her visit she likes to potter outside checking every centimetre of the garden :)

Then she comes back in the cat door and rejoins the group. She is such a good little self-contained doggie!

Mum always told us as children that 'bored people are boring' and obviously Milly got that memo too because she knows how to occupy herself! Although at her age what this looks like is mostly sleeping :)

I think if Milly was one of my book titles, it would be the one called ‘Loving Your Epic Small Life’, haha!

(Here is my affiliate link to this book on Amazon :)

 

 

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A few months out is the perfect time to start thinking about how you'd love to spend your Christmas this year, don’t you think?

You may already have your actual plans set, but what about your mindset? Are you excited for Christmas but also a little apprehensive?

It's such an emotional and sometimes highly charged time of the year. Is it any wonder we overeat all the goodies or end up in a disagree with someone we love?

I invite you to make this year the Christmas of your dreams by using all the tips in this book to really have it turn out the way you've always imagined - like a movie Christmas!

And of course I'd love to help out by having this month's special be 'A Chic and Simple Christmas' - it's only $2.99 on Amazon US and the paperback is reduced as well - it's down to $7.50.

You can find both at my affiliate Amazon link here.

And if you'd like to download the eBook from my eStore for an Amazon alternative, you'll find it here.
 

Reduce your stress levels by keeping a few ideas up your sleeve. It doesn't take much to turn things around!

If you haven't already read 'A Chic and Simple Christmas' I hope you enjoy it and get lots of new ideas from it. And if you have already read it, please let me know your favourite takeaway!

xx Fiona

 

 

 

Dining at home - what to wear?

 

Hello chic friends!

 

I call this photo :: Dîner pour deux à la maison ::

And "the lady of the house wore black satin pyjamas"

 

I love having nice home loungewear, and treated myself to these PJs from Victoria's Secret when we were in Hawaii a few months back. I also bought a set in hot pink.

 

Does wearing my nicest and newest loungewear for dinner at home on a Saturday night count as dressing up? I'm asking for a friend :)

 

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I hope you are having a lovely week so far.

 

I really enjoyed reading all the 'how did you meet' stories on my last post. It was so cool to see the variety of ways. And if you missed out sharing, please share today!

 

 

Thank you for ordering my newest book and keeping it in the 'Skincare' bestseller list. I hope it is a relaxing and peaceful read for you.

In the final chapter at the end, '21 ways to make your home a calm haven', number 17 is this:

"Think ‘wellbeing’ when you are looking around your home, and ask yourself how you can infuse a sense of wellbeing into each room. Can you make a cozy corner for yourself somewhere? Is your kitchen stocked with healthy foods? Is your bedroom tidy and ready for a restful sleep?"

I love to use this tip to make my home calm and welcoming. It feels so good! Not only for guests, but me too. I know my husband Paul appreciates it, and I'm sure my pets pick up on the energy as well.

Have a happy day!

xx Fiona

PS. You can find this book in paperback and on Kindle at my affiliate Amazon link here.

And the eBook in my eStore for an Amazon alternative.

 

 

 

A simple life tip + where I met my husband

 

Throwback to that fun night out at the place my husband and I met at 20 years ago.

When we told the barmaid we’d met there she told us she heard that all the time :) We are not so unique after all!

Apparently Lime Bar is quite the meeting place. When I went there it was Cosmopolitans all the way :)

And amazingly enough it’s still the same name after all these years.

I love a good ‘Where did you meet’ story so please share yours!

 

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:: How I keep my life simple ::

In our dining area, the apples and the orchid plant are both faux. I have decided that I prefer my plants to be in the garden where the rain waters them (I don't even have any outdoor pots anymore), and my fruit in the fridge for maximum crisp and freshness.

Life becomes easier and happier when you choose to 'be you' in little areas like this. I know loads of people love cut flowers and indoor potted plants, but they just stress me out!

I have to water the plants, keep them alive, feed them, upsize their pots when necessary, and put a plate under the pot for watering so I don't damage our furniture.

It's the same with cut flowers. I enjoy receiving them as a gift and have a few vases for just such a time, but otherwise I no longer buy them for myself. A bunch of flowers with my weekly shop is NOT a treat for me!

I'm not saying my way is right or wrong, it's just nice to know you have the choice, right? And you can always change your mind at any time too.

For where I am right now I want easy-care and simple. And it's not that my life is so hectic, I just prefer less to look after. Call me lazy, I don't mind :)

Tell me where you are lazy, haha, and what changes you have made to simplify your life lately.

 

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I've been chain-smoking again, yes! With writing though :) I started my next book on the high of releasing a book. I've been enjoying outlining my next book all week and will be starting my chapters soon.

Thank you for your lovely messages about my newest book's release - if you've ordered it I hope you are enjoying reading it! (pictured below)

I always take on the feeling of the book I am writing, understandably, so I am feeling very zen after writing and reading through '30 Chic Days at Home Vol. 2' :)

 

 

 

 

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And much like ‘a busman's holiday’, I love to read in my downtime, lol.

I've recently finished Jane Fallon's newest book 'Over Sharing'. I love her books and have read every one. They all seem to have a common theme of revenge, but they have heart too, and the endings are very satisfying.

This title was very enjoyable. I admire that her characters are fully fleshed out with quirks and lives of their own, but it doesn't come across as contrived or cliched.

Would recommend! (It's here at my affiliate Amazon link.)

Please let me know if you enjoy Jane’s books as well, and also, what have you read lately that you would like to share? I enjoy novels for my relaxing time, or before bed.

I hope you're having a lovely week, and see you soon!

xx Fiona

PS. You can find my newest book here at my affiliate Amazon link on Kindle and in paperback. It's been number one - yay! And thank you!