22nd Day in a Chic September

For the month of September I plan to document daily steps I have taken towards a chic, elegant and healthy life. My goal is to keep uppermost in my mind the kind of life I want to live. I will be focusing on all the small things I do each day that lead me towards my goal, rather than away from it.

Here are today’s mini-chic accomplishments:

Dressed up today. I wore a bib/tuxedo front white shirt that I normally reserve for dressier occasions, with a pair of charcoal wool herringbone pants, mini-fishnets and beige heels. It was just a normal day at work but it’s good to shake it up sometimes.

I also did something with my hair. It was more out of desperation really, now that I think about it. I washed and blow-dried my hair, and because I don’t like to straighten too often because it’s fine enough as it is, I looped it up, but then twirled around the bottom piece and pinned, until I could sort of imagine I belonged in Paris, if you squinted.

It even lasted through yoga class at lunch-time, including handstands. Please note I had changed out of my tuxedo-front shirt and wool pants to do this.

Speaking of handstands, oh my goodness they are so fun. It took me a good 9-10 months of kicking practice to even get up, but now that I can fling myself upside down against a wall there’s no stopping me. I really am like the teachers pet hoping she’ll get us to do handstands.

Sometimes, like both classes this week I get up every time and it’s really easy, other times it’s not so simple. Isn’t that just life though?

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Went to an appointment where I thought I might have to wait awhile, so took with me a small tote bag with two magazines, a book, bottle of water and a notebook and pen (for chic sightings, not much chance of that in the public health system). Naturally because I was so well prepared I was called in before I even sat down to fill out my form (literally before, my bottom hadn't even touched the vinyl seat).

I should tell you, I had a little dot cut off my leg a month or so ago. It’s bothered me forever, years I say, but I had my usual doctor tell me 12 months ago it was nothing to worry about, and then a plastic surgeon tell me just before he cut it out ‘it won’t be anything’. People, it was a melanoma. Now I am getting everything else checked out and a few more removed just in case.

What I want to tell you is to trust your instincts, even if you worry others will think you’re silly or a hypochondriac. It cost me quite a few hundred dollars to go private because public health doesn’t cover vague thoughts of ‘maybe’. But now it is proven to have been cancerous, I’m in, and covered.

I feel really lucky that I pushed for a specialist appointment, even if it was at my cost, and can’t help thinking, what about those people who don’t have $500 to get a hunch checked out?

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I'm still enamoured with my 'C'est normale' idea. Every time I start obsessing about food or diet I ask myself 'is it normal?' and everything is alright again. It's just magic.

I checked out from the library French Women Don't Get Fat on audiobook (can you tell I am obsessed with audiobooks at the moment? I can't believe I haven't discovered them earlier. Simply drive around and listen.). Mireille Guiliano herself reads the book and it's a pleasure to listen to her French/American accent.

I've read her two books, and they reside on my bookshelf, but today's listening reiterated the 'normal food in normal portions' message. I've heard it before but the saying is certainly true - 'when the student is ready the teacher will come'. It is only when we are ready to hear it that the message appears.

C'est normale. My chic mantra.

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If you feel like you want to make September a chic month for you as well, please join me. You are welcome to share your mini-chic accomplishments for the day (or the previous day if you read in the morning) in the comments section. It would be lovely to have you along for the ride!

Image 'Parisienne' by Ron di Scenza