The best Coco Chanel story! And life as an author

 

 

 

Hello chic friends!

 

The doggies don't usually go into town, but Micky was getting groomed and 'the girls' get their nails done when we pick him up, so we all did a few errands and stopped by a city park in case they needed a wee.

But they NEVER go to the loo when we are out because it's Far. Too. Scary. They are such nervous little doggies and always wait until we get home. We were only out an hour or two though, and they'd rather go for a car trip than miss out! It's so cute how dogs love going for a drive. If they had their way they'd come every time I left the house.

Something I love the best about working from home and being my own boss is that I can go out on random weekdays when there are plenty of carparks available and not too many people around.

And, I can do my work early in the morning or whenever really. I am so lucky - and grateful - that I get to do this. And it's all thanks to you - my readers. I appreciate each and every reader who puts their trust in me when they buy one of my books.

My goal is to encourage women to live a life of their own design, live better without spending more, and to have an inspired mindset that makes everything better. Life really becomes magical when you plant beautiful things in your secret garden aka your inner world!

You can find my 20+ books on these very topics here on Amazon. They come as eBook/Kindle, paperback, and some as audiobooks. And if you click the '+Follow' button by my photo on Amazon you will be automatically updated by Amazon whenever I release a new title.

And for an Amazon alternative you can purchase eBooks and audiobooks at my eStore here.

 

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 I've been thoroughly enjoying recording my audiobooks recently. Once I'd finished with The Peaceful Life, I really did feel calmer and more serene!

I think the main takeaway is to slow down and be more present, which I know sounds so cliched and yes-I've-heard-that but when you do it it feels amazing! Like your whole system gets to relax.

 

 

 

I've always adored this cover too. The lady is so... dreamy. Just look at her, she is the picture of elegance and tranquility. And that sleeve! So dramatic and lush.

How has your week been? I've had a great week and was even recognised by a blog reader at the supermarket. Hello to the lovely lady in the fruit and veggie department!

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On Tuesday we went to see the Amy Winehouse movie, at an actual theatre! Not just on the sofa haha. I love her music but I hoped the movie wouldn't be too sad... Let me know if you've seen it. The movie was excellent and the actress portraying her did a great job. It was sad at the end, of course it was, because we all know she died at only age 27. But what a talent, with her songwriting skills and amazing voice and style. Thank you for the music Amy.

 

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A beautiful sunset view from our lawn. Being autumn, this is just after 5pm!

 

Once the sun drops, brrrrr. Time to light the fire and get cozy :)

I always feel like having dinner earlier when it gets dark early, which means we have a lovely long evening, even though I go to bed quite early!

What time does the sun set for you currently?

 

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How cute is little Chloe dog smiling in the sun? She and Daphne are real sunbathers. They love lying outside soaking up the rays. You'd think they'd get too hot, but no! Micky dog on the other hand likes the shade. He can often be found inside or under our pergola.

 

Chloe looks the picture of innocence here, but don't let that fool you. She is always the first to bark at nothing, setting the other two dogs off, then looking away like she is nothing to do with the ruckus...

She has gone so grey now that she's ten, but she's still a puppy at heart and so nippy and speedy when she races around doing zoomies when she's in the mood. Isn't it the funniest thing when dogs do zoomies?

 

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I received the loveliest email from one of my students last week.

Trish from Ireland said:

"This e-course is making my heart sing, Fiona!

I absolutely love the daily emails, full of delicious, author-to-be treats.

It’s nourishing my creativity and my soul, at the same time.

I’ve taken many soulless online courses, with slick videos, snazzy downloads and designer workbooks, but your simple, elegant approach wins hands-down in terms of pure engagement with the material. (I have folders full of unused material from other courses.)

Anyways, just thought it would be nice to let you know.

Hugs from Ireland!

Trish"

(I just want to say Trish gave me permission to use her name and country :)

 

If you too are interested in peeking in the door and seeing if it's possible to become a self-published author, why not sign up for my free mini-course giving you a taster of the course Trish is taking.

It's a ten-part email course and is absolutely F R E E. You can go here to 'Sign up for my Free 10-part mini-course for aspiring non-fiction writers'. I also have a fancy QR code to use!

Creating my own work-from-home employment writing the books I love is one of my biggest achievements in life. If you are a happy homebody who finds it a wrench to leave the house to go to work each day I'm sure you can relate!

And even if you love getting out and about, wouldn't it be nice to completely make your own choices in life and live on your own terms?

Or perhaps you have no desire to publish, but just want to explore your creativity and maybe write a short book for your own pleasure. This free mini-course will have something for you too.
 

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At the end of last year, my great aunt Birdie passed away, aged 90. She had an incredible life of travel and adventure. She visited many, many countries. Travel was her thing. And she had excellent stories such as this one:

In the late 1960s Birdie worked in Paris at the American hospital, as a nurse. And one of her patients was... Coco Chanel. The Coco Chanel. This was in 1969. Birdie told me that while Chanel was in hospital a very young Karl Lagerfeld came up to visit her every day at lunchtime.

 

She said Coco never stopped talking, in French only, and very very fast. My great-aunt was getting better with her French but simply could not keep up with Chanel’s speed.

She said Coco was very elegantly dressed, and had hair much as you would see in photos of her. One day she announced she was too tired for a shower, so she had a sponge bath of Chanel No. 5 in a bowl, which was tipped out afterwards.

Isn’t this the coolest story? (And please don’t think my great-aunt was being disrespectful of Chanel, she didn’t tell me anything other than what I’m sharing here.)

I am the opposite of my great-aunt, a real homebody, whereas being at home for her probably felt like being in jail. She was always planning her next trip and couldn’t wait to get away again.

Two great ladies who lived lives that were atypical for the time.

I hoped you enjoyed my chic Chanel story, and I wish you a lovely, lovely weekend.

xx Fiona

PS. I wrote a whole chapter about ‘living your Coco Chanel life’ in my book ‘Thirty More Chic Days’ which I am currently recording the audiobook of (it’s Day 9 – Have a closet like Coco’) If you haven’t read it yet, this chapter is a fun read about living a life of your own design, just like Coco (and my great aunt!) did.

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