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.
Today has been such a busy day at work that I have been racking my brain to come up with even one chic mini-accomplishment to report. Here are a few I have scraped up.
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Started my day with half a lemon squeezed into warm water. Lemons are so expensive to buy that I con my family into delivering them (from their own trees) whenever they come to town. My Aunty and Uncle turned up at our shop on the weekend bearing lemons, oranges and bantam eggs from their own property. Yay!
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Kept my cool when inundated at the shop with the after-school crowd. Sometimes it's busy at that time and sometimes it's not. Today it was madhouse and I focused on making everyone feel looked after even as I virtually threw shoes at them to try on. Normally I like to be a bit more caring. A smile goes a long way in this situation.
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Even though work was busy we are still having a home-cooked meal. It's in the oven as I type. I love stir-frys, but nothing beats a cooked-in-the-oven meal for ease. It's a bit like the slow-cooker only faster. Put it in, forget about it for an hour. Cook green veg at the end. In the meantime enjoy a tasty brandy.
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Read this great quote in a womans weekly magazine tonight. My mother-in-law hands them on to me and I love reading them.
'A real star has manners, is gentle, beautiful and interesting and always has something to say'.
Lovely! It made me think of Audrey Hepburn for some reason.
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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!
I've been busy sewing and organising in the East Wing (a bedroom with east facing windows). I've let it get so junky that I would be embarrassed for anyone to see it. Not very chic is that? So, I'm making it a room worthy of public viewing.
ReplyDeleteI like that quote. I can practice it even while sitting in my recliner with the heating pad behind my sore shoulder blade. I believe that will be my "chic" for today. Manners, gentle, smiling, with something to say besides how badly I feel...
ReplyDeleteI am having my own shoe party here at the Bungalow.
ReplyDeleteNordstrom's in Seattle has a big shoe department and there is a clerk whose main job is to announce over the microphone to the hoards of eager shoe shoppers who is up next for service!
I have observed women with shoe boxes stacked several feet high trying on maybe 20 pairs of shoes. It's mayhem.
Having seen this I feel that I understand how you might feel.
Audrey looks lovely in that picture. Now she was a true "star" in every sense of the word.
Hi Fiona,
ReplyDeleteI think you may be thinking of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Doc said something about her being talky as a jaybird and always having something interesting to say. She was gentle and beautiful in the movie, too.
Thanks for writing on such a busy day.
Sheree
Congrats on keeping your cool when the shop was so full. Hope they bought a lot! I imagine that your store is a really nice place to shop, with you and your husband running it. I wanted to add that the photo of Atlas from yesterday is so sweet. Time always helps. It will still hurt, but in a different way, and there will be many times that you will be able to remember him and share memories with your husband and friends, and smile, and maybe even laugh at silly things. He won't ever be gone, not really.
ReplyDeleteerina
I worked in a few different shoe stores in San Francisco for years while in college. You have to be on your toes (pun intended) and make use of your organizing and memory skills. I can relate a little bit to the chaos you must experience.
ReplyDeleteWhat did I do chic yesterday:
I not only washed our bed linens, but I ironed our pillow cases (that's the chic part). Unfortunately, our old iron, which I have already cleaned thoroughly, left an ugly mark on one of my new Italian pillowcases. Tomorrow, it's off to buy a new iron. Although I was disappointed by the new mark on my pillowcase, I didn't let it bother me too much. It's just a pillowcase after all.
xo, A
I have started maintaining my own diary for September and everytime I get your blog update I update mine! :) It feels good to look back at my chic accomplishments!
ReplyDeleteBusy days have a way of undermining our chic, don't they. Congratulations to you on keeping your cool and still making an effort after a hard day was done.
ReplyDeleteMy chic accomplishments today include
- putting on make-up and nice jewelry even though I'm only working from home
- putting together a lovely dinner for my husband this evening because he has a long and irritating day ahead of him.
- Eliminating clutter by tackling a mountain of unfiled paper work.
- Balancing my evening with a little current affairs, a little art, and a little romance (mind and body, the complete chic package!)
I'm halfway through my day, but I just bought some wonderful macaroons on my lunch break from the bakery down the street....so GOOD. I treat myself once in awhile and bought some extra for Hubs later!
ReplyDeleteHello Fiona,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had yet another delicious home-cooked dinner. While in school I was always too lazy but I want to make an effort now to actually cook. it's quite fun and delicious :)
and I always love myself a good quote that reminds me of the lovely audrey.
Shelley, I love your East Wing description, I think I will borrow it! The worst room is a great place to start.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I agree. I often think how much I moan if I have a headache etc. Far more chic to not say a word.
Hostess, we're not quite in that league but I would love a man with a microphone sometimes!
Sheree, I've read the book and seen the movie but not for a while so don't remember the quote. Merci!
Erina, yes, they bought a lot but the main thing I worry about is that everyone went away happy. It's very important for a small shop such as ours. I'd hate to think someone went away with a bad experience. It makes me realise how nice people are though, they are happy to wait. Thank you about Atlas, we do remember him fondly and have a giggle over cute things he did.
Adrienne, what a shame for your Italian pillowcases. How zen you sound!
7dayholiday, well done you.
KBG, I love your list, it makes me feel relaxed and at ease.
LR, macaroons are so delicious. I've only bought them once or twice because they are so expensive but I know how much work goes into making them so I don't begrudge it. And extra points for spoiling your man.
Lenna, I cook oven meals because I am lazy. We had another tonight - Mexican chilli beans and beef.