Road trips, yummy lunch and a stockist of my books!

We have been on a few road trips with the doggies this year, and they love travelling in the car! This is their cozy crate that they also sleep in at home. It has a comfy bed on top of a sheepskin, and lots of blankets which they love to be tucked in with when they go to sleep at night.

When we go somewhere the dogs can come, as soon as the car starts moving, they settle happily in and sleep for the whole trip. They only get up when the car slows down. There is a bowl of water on offer when we stop, and they never want a wee until we get to where we are going. I have offered so many times on various trips but it's just too scary in a different town than they're used to. They’d rather hold on. Such funny puppies!

Daphne is at the back, and she is six. Chloe is in the front, and she's eight. I adopted them from the SPCA four years ago and they were taken from a puppy mill along with six others. They live a very good life with us! (Even if they're scared of one of our cats who makes it her business to be Top Cat.)

They are excellent co-writers for my books, napping under my desk on another bed there. They just love keeping me in their sight. They are also excellent watch dogs and will let me know if a car goes past, a person walking their dog, or even a butterfly or bird… yes, excellent watch dogs :)

 

This is one of my MOST favourite lunches. Scrambled eggs made with cream and cooked in butter, with homegrown avocado, tomato and parsley. YUM!

I mostly use two eggs for lunch and either buy free range, or use eggs from my Aunty's chickens when they are plentiful enough for her to distribute around, which is often (the eggs, not the chickens, hehe).

It's faster than fast food and has so much goodness - just look at all those different colours!

Please tell me your favourite lunch - if it's easy and quick to prepare and healthy, so much the better!

 

If you live in (or visit) Hawke's Bay, you can purchase my books in paperback from my brother Arden's beautiful store Interior Warehouse at 81 Carlyle Street in Napier.

Isn't he a good brother stocking my books? And I regularly have to restock them which is lovely. I feel like a real sales rep or merchandiser when I go in to see what has been bought and top up the titles.

He has gorgeous furniture too (there are fab photos on his Instagram here). So far I have bought a big wall clock, hall table, coffee table and two side tables... every time I go in to visit him I see what's new. I love the rich jewel-toned velvet sofas. It really is quite perilous when I pop in to say hi to Arden!

Wishing you a lovely day. It's SO rainy here and has been for weeks. Still, the garden is looking very green and it's good weather for putting the final finishing touches to my new mini-book due out this week!

xx Fiona

PS. You can find all my books here at my affiliate link on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tAGUp2

What I've been up to and chic ideas

 

Recently we had a two-night mini-break staying at the Martinborough Hotel and it was so nice to dress up and go out We found a beautiful new restaurant called Karahui. The food was delicious, wine list incredible and the staff so friendly. Would recommend!

 

 

Estee Lauder said, 'Packaging requires special thought. You can make a thing wonderful by its outward appearance.'

I feel that way about pretty touches around my home, how I dress and present myself, and my book covers too.

I get so excited when choosing a new image for a book cover (as I did last week, it's with my cover designer right now). There is something magical about creating a new, gorgeous real-life thing that started with a thought.

It's the same with handcrafts, a beautiful dinner or anything we make ourselves - out of thin air it seems!

What will you be creating today? And making it wonderful with it's outwards appearance?

I will be dressing well for the supermarket (hehe, my big outing), making dinner later on, and also doing a read-aloud read-through of my latest book.

It is a mini-mini-book which is so fun - I have loved the energy of writing it, and for you, my lovely reader, it will be a quick read to (hopefully!) inspire thoughtful action and a happy feeling.

 

:: Inspiration Basket ::

I used to carry a stack of material around with me, from my bedside table to my writing desk and the sofa too. Then I decided I needed a basket for ease!

This one I have had for decades and can't even remember where it came from (it's second hand though, so would have been a charity store).

In it I have my iPad and Kindle, current reading material ('The Party Crasher' by Sophie Kinsella which was just 'OK', I borrowed it from the library), my journal and pen, and a couple of style files (printed or torn out inspiration pages in a display book). My basket could look a little tidier 🤣 Everything is thrown into it today.

I always have a giant cup of 6am tea (sometimes green, sometimes normal tea with milk), and I will either go straight to my desk with it and start writing in my robe, or sit up in bed with a book or my journal.

It's SUCH a nice start to my day. By the time I have had my tea it's probably been around half an hour and I'm ready to get up.

Having my inspiration basket close to hand reminds me of being a young girl and carrying all my favourite things around with me 😊 - reading and being creative.

Perhaps you need an inspiration basket too? Filled with uplifting material to inspire and soothe? I'm sure you can find something around the house if you too carry things around from room to room :)

xx Fiona

PS. You can find all my books here at my affiliate link on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tAGUp2

How to slow down time

Ninacat on the wine barrel the other night. She uses the chair next to it to climb up and enjoy the evening sun, such a funny wee puss :)

I heard someone say the other day that you can slow down time by changing your perception of time. It really stuck with me because days can go by without me even noticing, and hours pass by like minutes. I sometimes hold my breath and don’t breathe properly because I feel rushed; it’s like I am waiting until I have time to breathe fully and deeply. I often feel like I am running late, am behind, am disappointing someone.

When I looked at these things about time that seemed like fact, that’s when I saw what the quote was about. All of those thoughts are only my perception of time, and I can change it!

So I wrote down how I would rather experience time instead.

•    Time flows freely and slowly. It passes by at a snail’s pace and I feel so blissfully relaxed.
•    I move slowly and at my own pace. I do one thing at a time. Time passes slowly. I get things done in a paced and calm manner. It’s enjoyable.
•    I breathe fully and deeply every time I realise I’m holding my breath in my chest.
•    I take five minutes to close my eyes and breathe and just be. I notice the sensations in my body; what feels good, where there is discomfort.
•    I look at the trees out the window regularly and absorb their soothing green solid presence. They are always there.
•    I say to myself, Time is my friend. I love time. Time is good to me. Time looks after me. I have plenty of time. Time is abundant. Time is on my side.
•    I get so much done in such a short amount of time and I am completely relaxed doing it, it’s amazing I am the same person living the same life because I feel completely different.

Do you know, after writing those few points, which didn’t take long at all, I felt so tranquil. I bet you do too, reading my new mindset vs my previous thoughts.

So if you often feel like the day gets away on you, please, borrow my new views on time. And please, let me know how you feel calm and composed on a daily basis.

xx Fiona

PS. You can see all my books on Amazon at my affiliate link, including my latest book ‘Thirty Chic Days Vol. 3’. I have two more books in the pipeline as well, just so you know!

 

 

Find yourself with fun

 Happy new year chic friends!

I don’t know about you, but when I do some decluttering and organizing, I find out more about myself.  I find out what the real treasures are, and I can see what lights me up.

It’s such a great part of doing a bit of a clean out.  You can see, quite literally often, the next version of yourself.  Sometimes I have hung onto things such as clothing because I used to love them and think I will again, but then I don’t want to wear it.  It doesn’t feel like ‘me’ anymore when I put it on.

It’s a funny thing to experience, when you can feel yourself accelerating past your old self.  It definitely feels like you are moving quickly.  Have you ever experienced that?  I felt like this on and off all last year and still do.  Maybe it’s something with having an occasion birthday (with a zero on the end of the number).  You naturally start thinking to yourself about the next decade of your life and what you’d like it to look like.

It’s actually a thrilling prospect, at least to me.  Like the ultimate project to craft over the next ten years.  Where would I like to see myself at sixty? I ask myself.  It’s like a brand-new canvas to splash with art in any style you’d like.

And with keeping your home in a simplified and organized state, you get to move easily and fluidly through your years.

I plan to become more flexible and open to change as the years go by, not more rigid and set in my ways.  And I’ll get to do that because I choose to.  Why not?  Doesn’t it sound more enjoyable than slowly setting into premature rigor mortis?

And what I love about using things up, sorting out stuff to donate, and tidying the things I love and have kept, is that shopping for more stuff has never seemed less appealing.  It’s a strange thing that when you are drowning in clutter you shop for more, and when you are in a cleaning it out phase you don’t shop unless absolutely necessary.

I don’t understand how it works in the mind, but I know it’s like that because I’ve proved it for myself!

Let me know what side of the fence you sit on – happy clutterer or aspiring cozy minimalist like me?

xx Fiona

PS.  All my books on Amazon are focused on living your best life – check them out here at my affiliate link!

 

 

Introducing myself

 Hello everyone!  In the past little while I have noticed many new lovely ladies and received so many sweet messages and emails.  I appreciate every one!  I thought it would be a great idea to re-introduce myself.

Firstly, my name is Fiona and I live in a beautiful part of New Zealand called Hawke’s Bay.  This is where I grew up, and while I moved away for a couple of decades, I moved back four years ago and am loving living here again.  We have a sunny microclimate perfect for growing grapes and apples.

I live with my husband Paul, and our four rescue pets – doggies Daphne and Chloe, and pussy cats Jessica and Nina.  And I write books!

The world might be crazy right now but I believe we can be happy regardless.  We can bring the party with us.  Life is to be celebrated by turning our face to the sun, not the shade.  Focus on what’s good – life is good!

That’s what is in my books – goodness, happiness, feeling alive, creating a beautiful daily life and making the most of what we’ve got.  I believe in the transformative power of positivity and being a bright ray of sunshine in our own life for the good of ourselves and those around us.

We only get this one life and many of us – definitely me at 51 – are more than half-way through probably, so let’s get on with it.  We have no time to lose!  Live life, be good, eat well, and get rid of things that no longer serve you (I love curating my home and decluttering). Let others be who they are and love your people fiercely.

All the best to you this holiday season, and how exciting that we all get to design the perfect 2022 for each of us! Yay!

xx Fiona

PS. You can find all my books here on my Amazon affiliate link. Enjoy!

 

You bring the party

 

I am working my way through the Lucky Santangelo series by Jackie Collins in between reading other novels (I know, but they are really good!)  In one of the books, someone asked Lucky if she’d enjoyed her evening at an event.  ‘Yes of course’, she said, ‘I always do because I bring the party’.

To explain what I think she meant, was that she always chose to enjoy herself.  She chose to be a good participant in the event.  She didn’t rely on anyone else to make her have fun.  She was self-propelled!

That little phrase of Lucky’s really spoke to me.  It was a good reminder to not just turn up somewhere and expect to be entertained.  That it was etiquette to be a good addition to the dinner party, get-together or event.

Even if it’s being at home with your family, going to the hairdresser, or meeting a friend for lunch, you can still bring the party.  For me, just thinking that thought perks me up.  It reminds me that I can bring a happy vibe to wherever I am.  I can be a ray of sunshine.

I can do it for myself too.  Working from home, I need to be self-motivated.  I do my writing, behind-the-scenes admin, and I also have a household to run and four pets who, even though small, do make quite a mess often.  Shedding fur, toys strewn around…

So by me bringing the party, I get to enjoy myself while doing all my chores.  I lift up my mindset with good self-talk, positivity, and create my own motivation with time goals.

The unexpected side benefit from this is that your energy is elevated.  You feel zingier, more alive, happier.  You get things done!  So next time you’re feeling a little… flat, remember, you bring the party.  It’s within you!

xx Fiona

PS.  For more ‘party’ :) go and visit my books on my Amazon affiliate link or my eStore.  They’re all waiting for you and there are streamers draped everywhere with party whistles going off!  I have extended my Black Friday sale for a few more days – everything is US$3.99, usually up to US$9.99.  And for aspiring authors, my eCourse is still on a super-special for a few more days too.

 

Black Friday eBook sale - all titles $3.99 or less!

Hi everybody,

It’s my famous Black Friday Kindle book sale where all of my books are $3.99 or less!  (Usually up to $9.99!)  It’s only until the end of November, so why not download yourself some festive bargains.  Isn’t this a fun time of year?

If you have never tried a Kindle book before, I encourage you to participate in something new with the sale prices.  I love actual books, but I love my digital books too.  I have my favourite books in both formats because I like to flick through them from my bookshelf at home, but it’s great to have them on me when I’m out too.

You can get the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet or desktop and use whatever device you already have.  Ebooks on your phone is a great save when you have to wait for a few minutes, or even when you are in a long supermarket queue.  Grab your phone, flick open the Kindle app and read a few pages.  eBooks are downloadable too, so you don’t need to be connected to data or Wi-Fi to read them.

In the spirit of trying something new, if you love a cheap eBook sale but already have most of my books, why not look at the books you don’t have, and thought didn’t apply to you?

I’m thinking of ‘How to be Chic in the Winter’ when you live in the tropics (apart from my wintry recipes, most of the book deals with making the best of a situation), and ‘The Chic Author’ when you don’t desire to write books (there are a lot of chapters on motivation and success which can apply to any goal you’d love to achieve).

Check out the samples of these books and see if there is anything to spark a bit of fun and excitement, and new thought :)

You can see the book sale here at my Amazon affiliate link.  Prices are also reduced in my Payhip store as an alternative to Amazon – including the audiobook of ‘Thirty Chic Days’ for $3.99 which has never been priced this low before!

 

I appreciate your continued support, this is my way of saying thank you :)

All the best and happy reading!
xx Fiona

PS.  If you have always wondered about my author eCourse, this is also on a super-special right now.