Sunny dog walks, a French beach, and my recording studio!

 

 

Hello from a sunny doggie walk!

 

 

Once we got over the little bridge there was a big off-leash area. Fluffy white Micky dog loved running around while Daphne and Chloe are more nervous and stick close to mum.

Daphne and Chloe being brave

 

 

Public parks are such a blessing. How lucky are we to be able to choose different areas to visit without even having to mow the lawns or weed the garden ourselves?

Micky loving life

Daphne sticking close to mum, and Chloe is just behind me

Like most doggies, these guys LOVE going in the car :)

 ~~

 

Today’s photos are the last in my series where I invited readers to send in their take on what a soft, calm life means to them.

 

 

 

These calm, moody images are from Belinda, who lives in rural France, but was holidaying in Biarritz in the southwest of France. Because of the cloudy day she said it was lovely and quiet as she sat on the beach, having a rare treat – a yoghurt ice-cream. “Even in busy Biarritz in France I can find places of calm.”

 

Thank you Belinda, for your dreamy photos! It looks so peaceful and… French 😊

 

Today’s accompanying excerpt from ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ is a petite paragraph from the bonus chapter ‘50 Ways to Romanticize Your Everyday’ and it’s tip no. 28:

:: Take a paper book out with you ::

“I love Pinterest images where a lady is reading her book at a café, in the park or at the beach. It’s just not quite the same with a phone or Kindle, if only for the aesthetics! Keep a book with you so that you too can sit for a moment and read a few pages. Why not recreate that Pinterest vibe for yourself?”

I always feel too self-conscious to read or journal in public, unless I am waiting for someone. Somehow that makes it okay! Perhaps I need to get over myself and do what I want to do?

Do you read (or journal) in public? Do you feel self-conscious as well??? My mum always said people were too busy thinking of themselves to worry about what I was doing. Maybe that’s true 😂

 

~~

 

And finally this week, here I am in my little 'recording studio' at home, working through my audiobooks!

 

 

When I first started recording them, I looked into hiring an actual recording studio locally. But I can only record for short periods of time, 30-60 minutes each day, so I didn't really think it would work out practically.

So I set up one of our guest rooms as my recording studio at home.

I put a blanket over the mirrored drawers and have pillows piled up behind me. The more soft surfaces the better! I sometimes close the curtains too, although it's nice to have the sunshine and natural light.

I shut the door and put a draft snake along the bottom, otherwise I can hear Daphne snuffling under the door looking for me 😂

I do have to stop and re-record if there is an outbreak of barking while a car drives past or a bird flies within their eyesight... three dogs makes a lot of racket! And one always sets the others off - usually Chloe, the smallest and most antagonistic in her own cute way 🤣

I've been really enjoying getting reacquainted with my books. Apart from when I write them, I don't really read them again, because after the many read-throughs for proofreading and editing, I really am thoroughly sick of each title as I release it!

In spite of those many many readings I still find the occasional typo as I read the audiobooks, so I tidy those up as I go😊

I hope you’ve been enjoying listening to my narration if you’re an audiobook person. You can find them on Spotify and Audible, and anywhere else you get your audiobooks from, including your library where you can ask to have them ordered in!

Happy weekend to you 🌸🌸🌸

xx Fiona

PS. You can find ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ here on Amazon and all my others through my fancy Linktree page below.

 

 (My Amazon links are affiliate but the price doesn’t change for you, thank you if you choose to use my links!)

How to live a good life

 

Hello everyone, and happy Friday from sunny Hawke's Bay. Today I thought I'd share my thoughts on what it takes to live a good life. A big topic I know!

One of the main things for me is to lower stress, and a big part of stress for many people is money.

I have, for a long time, designed my life to be low-cost, and if there are times I have spent a bit more, they are one offs. The distinction I’m making here is that I haven’t committed to big recurring payments.

So, when we bought our first home, we’d saved a decent deposit and purposely purchased a house which was at the lower end of what we could potentially afford, and we worked hard to pay it off fast.

Our car was old and paid for in cash (a 2003 Toyota Camry bought three years old and kept until 2017). When we upgraded we paid cash for our next car (a one year old SUV). And when we upgraded again (my husband worked in the car business at that time so we were offered a good deal) (a 2021 SUV that was six months old) that was paid for in cash too. We still have that one.

I just always think, the less you spend, the less you have to earn. And debt is the devil’s work to me. Even good debt. I just want to get rid of it as soon as I can, even if financial gurus tell you to ‘always have debt’. I’m sure I would be wealthier but I’d also be more stressed if I had lots of investments and lots of debt. But that just comes down to my financially conservative nature. I want to be able to sleep at night!

This is why I write my books on various topics under the one main umbrella of ‘living well without spending a lot of money’. I want to be able to live a fabulous life, one I enjoy every day, but I’ve worked out ways to do that with my mindset, being creative and savvy, and enjoying the simple things rather than relying on money.

So those are my thoughts today. I hope you find something inspiring in them 😊 And please let me know, are you similar? Do you believe a low-cost life is the secret to serenity?

~~

 

 

Thankfully I’m now fully back to myself and feel like I am zinging with energy. Even though what I probably feel is ‘normal’ before I was struck down with food poisoning and a bonus cold. I really can’t believe how good I feel, it’s fabulous!

Isn’t it incredible how you take your health for granted until you become unwell, but then the minute you are feeling better you forget all about it 😂 Maybe that’s human nature, or maybe it’s just me.

I painted my nails too – my thumb nail in the photo 😊 – and love how cheery they make me feel – a red orange colour called She’s On Fire (Revlon Ultra HD Snap, although one coat is a total lie, I always do two plus a top coat).

Incredibly enough, I always seem to chip light colours sooner. Pretty soft pale pinks don’t last a minute on me, but bright or dark colours I can almost get to a week without touchups. I don’t see the logic in that but I don’t mind, I prefer the look of red or plum on my nails anyway.

(One theory I had is that I ‘know’ I have nail polish on when I wear a bright colour, but if it’s a pale colour I can ‘forget’ and use my nails more roughly, like tools.)

I’m excited for the spring-like weather we are having, and it’s only another month until the official start of spring here in New Zealand (I’m a equinox person rather than a 1st September person – how about you?)

But I’m also excited for all the lovely autumn/fall content coming – cozy vlogs on YouTube, fashion layouts on Instagram, and new autumn-themed novels too. I get to have the best of both worlds and it’s fun to see what’s fresh and happening. I browse the bookstore, see what’s on YouTube, and scroll my fashion Instagram feed 😊

~~

This week's reader photos are from Karin in North Liberty, Iowa, USA. She wanted to share her beautiful sunset and I can see why. It is stunning! 

 

Here’s what Karin has to say:

“I'm quite of fan of sunrises and sunsets. Every evening (weather permitting), my husband and I take our Siberian Husky, Koda for a walk around the pond. He has come to expect his evening walks and he definitely lets us know when it's time to go!

I'm always amazed at how different the sunsets can be from one evening to the next. Some nights they can be quite fiery with deep reds and oranges, while other nights they can have more subdued and pastel colors. On this particular evening, the sunset was what I call a watercolor sky with pastel colors that deepened as the sun continued to set. It reminded me of a watercolor painting with translucent washes of color.

I very much enjoy reading your books. One of your first books I read was Loving Your Epic Small Life and I've read most of your books since then. I think these photos also represent the ideas in that book as well about finding the beauty and joy in your everyday life.”

 

Thank you Karin for sharing your images, and also for suggesting the matching excerpt! I love that Koda nags you for a walk if you aren’t quick enough 😊

And, it’s my pleasure to share tip no 31 from ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ with you:

:: Glory in all the beauty around you ::

“Wherever you are, take in what you see. Notice the details and pick out what delights you to focus on. It’s all too easy to see what must be done, imperfections, and things that could be better – but there will always be those things.

When you choose to bring your attention to what provides pleasure and a feeling of wellbeing, you will be a nicer person to be around, and happier within yourself. Train yourself to have this be a habit.

Practice being your own ray of sunshine and see how much better life can get.”

~~

Happy almost-weekend everyone, and I’m thrilled to announce that the audiobook for my newest title ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ is now available everywhere!

~ Audible

~ Spotify
(Where you can listen for free if you have Spotify Premium)

~ In my eStore

~ And anywhere else you get your audiobooks from
(Even your library if you get them to order it in!)


Wishing you a beautifully relaxing and calm weekend, whatever you are doing. Life is good!

 

 xx Fiona

Being unwell, and summer in Finland

 

 Hello chic friends!

I’ve been laid up with food poisoning this past week, and a cold which I think I caught at the medical centre when I went in for the food poisoning. Such good luck!

Never mind, I’ve got my cozy sofa with the fire going, and of course my seat is stolen whenever I leave my sickbed.

Pets are like wet sand at the beach, you know how your footprint fills in straight away? That’s what pets do when you get up from the sofa...

 

 

 

I’ve read almost a whole Danielle Steel book (so enjoyable! And look at how chic Miss Danielle is in her author photo, below), watched You’ve Got Mail, The Crown, Friends, and Vanderpump Rules too.

 

A bit of glam, a bit of cozy, a bit of humour, and a bit of history.

With my ladybasket and flute of sparkling water of course.

I’ve even written a few chapters too. Very happy about that.

And, I’m on the mend now, thank goodness 😊

I really hope you are well and not suffering from food poisoning or a cold too!

~~

 

 

 

This week’s reader photos to celebrate the launch of my newest book ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ are from Camilla in Finland.

Camilla and her extended family are staying at a summer cottage in Danskog, Finland. She says it is ‘an island with nothing on it but a few summer cottages and a lot of bilberries’ (luckily everyone in the family is happy to spend the days bilberry picking and, if they are really lucky, Camilla will make bilberry cake).

 

This sounds like the epitome of slow living to me. And a lovely calm, nature-filled way to spend a summer holiday.

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful photos with us Camilla!

~~

I have another excerpt from ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ for you, and it’s no. 97.

:: Go for the kind of lifestyle you want ::

“Identify others who have done it to know that it is possible firstly. Look to them rather than others. Borrow their faith that it’s okay to slow down, live simply, and choose a quiet life.

Don’t let others convince you with their words or their actions, that their (busy, chaotic, stressful) life is the only way to be. They may enjoy it, or perhaps may not know there is another option. Whatever the reason, they get to live their way. And you get to do you.

Keep coming back to your true desires, don’t let them be forgotten about. You might choose different words than soft and calm; whatever describes your happy place, keep them front and centre.

Base life decisions around them. It’s your life.”

 

I hope there is something in this excerpt for you today.

Wishing you a fab Friday/Thursday and a lovely weekend too!

xx Fiona

PS. You can read or listen to ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ on Amazon 😊

 

 

 

(My Amazon links are affiliate but the price doesn’t change for you, thank you if you choose to use my links!)

How to read my books for free, and a Ninacat update

 

Dear chic friends,

 

Little Miss Nina is back with an update for you!

You may recall her hoodie photos a month or so ago. Sweet Nina had an injury under her arm that she wouldn’t let heal, so I bought her a sweatshirt to cover it up. The goal was to stop the licking.

She hated the sweatshirt with a vengeance though, and once she worked out how to get it off (easy! just stretch out the neckline and come out the front 🐱) I resorted back to her pretty collar.

I don’t know why I didn’t just keep the collar on the whole time, but c’est la vie, I know now.

 

From her 100% hatred of the hoodie, she is 0% bothered by the collar. In fact, I don’t even think she notices it anymore. It’s a wonderful invention by Cool Collars. And I brush her most days to keep up the grooming in areas she can’t reach 😊

Her injury is doing well too, and she won’t need surgery thank goodness. It would be a lot for a tiny 3kg (6.6 lbs) 14-year-old cat to go through.

So it’s happy days for Nina. I think she’ll need about another month in her collar. Maybe she can be out of it for spring here in the southern hemisphere 😊

 

Her collar always makes me giggle. One afternoon it was sunny and she came around the corner of the house outside, and with the sun on her which made her black fur shine brown-black, and the golden tones of the ruff I, for a split second, thought, what is a bantam rooster doing outside our house? 😂😂😂

 

 

And in the photo above, she is set up on one of our dining chairs in my office. She is the Princess and the Pea on a quadruple folded luxury fleece blanket ON TOP of a sheepskin. I designed this ‘throne’ for her because she was always stealing my office chair...

Nina is living the dream 🥰 She sends kisses to your pussy cat(s) too.

 

~~

 

 

 

How gorgeous is this photo from Shelley in Ohio, USA? As you may know, I have been inviting readers to send in their photos depicting the feeling of a soft, calm life, to celebrate the release of my newest book '100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life'.

Shelley says:

"My husband and I are spending about 6 months camping in our RV. Our campground sits beside an old limestone quarry that is now a spring-fed lake and a wonderful place to swim. So wonderful. I love your books and have them all. Please keep up with your writing!"

Thank you Shelley! And how wonderful to be enjoying your beautiful countryside in an RV for six months. What a wonderful vacation. It sounds like a dream!

~~

Something I have noticed as a common theme in the photos readers have been so generously sending in for me to share, is that they all incorporate outdoor nature, and if inside, with an aspect of nature touches (fruit, flowers etc). Isn’t that interesting?

As exciting as fancy things are (I love a new perfume or buying a new outfit, and going shopping when overseas on holiday), nothing compares to the majesty of nature and how she makes us feel. It’s something that is deeply ingrained in us as a human.

~~

 

I also want to share reader Kim’s home-grown sweet peas with you. They are so pretty!

Kim lives in Monterey, California, in the United States, and she said:

“I read your 100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life book while flying to London from California. It really caused me to pause and re-evaluate the pace of my life and how I want to move towards enjoying the simpler things to give me more inner peace and happiness.

This year I tried growing sweet peas because I love their fragrance and sweet blossoms. They are such a beautiful and simple flower that only last a short time so you have to enjoy them while you can. Although my plants have bright and bold purple and red blossoms I thought the light pink and white flowers felt tranquil and calm. I love just a few cuttings in my kitchen window to remind me to slow down and enjoy the simple beauty around me.

Thanks for all your inspirations.”

Thank YOU Kim, and I will try this spring (coming up soon in New Zealand!) to grow sweet peas again.

~~

I have chosen today’s excerpt ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ (still a number one best seller after six weeks!) to go with Kim’s lovely image and words. It’s tip no. 65:

:: Create a menu of options ::

“Imagine having a big list of self-identified simple pleasures to choose from each day.

You could have an activities list where you write down everything that makes you feel good, such as going for a walk outside for twenty minutes, having a coffee in a café, washing and blow-drying your hair, getting a manicure or pedicure (at home or out), or reading a book.

Note down everything you enjoy and keep this list handy to inspire pockets of rest and recuperation.

Try for one-hundred, and title the list (with your own name!) ‘Fiona’s 100 Simple Pleasures’. What a fun project this would be to build.

Imagine settling in for a journal session to find your one-hundred, and then the fun of ‘shopping’ from it!”

Of course, growing and picking sweet peas will be on my Simple Pleasures list 😊

~~

:: How to read my books for free ::

 

You might not know this already, but there are a number of ways in which you can read my books for ‘F R E E’. Yes really!

Let’s go through all the options, shall we?

~~ Read my newest book on Kindle Unlimited ~~

If you have a Kindle Unlimited membership, you can read my latest release, ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ for free.

If you aren’t a member, you can request a free trial of Kindle Unlimited and get reading straight away.

 

~~ Order my audiobooks and paperbacks at your local library ~~

Through Libby or the library app you use, you can request your library to order in my audiobooks, and if you would like your local library to stock my paperbacks, you can make a ‘request to purchase’ on their website, or go in and speak with a librarian.

I love it when readers have told me they do this because it means more lovely ladies can find out about my books!

~~ Listen to all my audiobooks on Spotify ~~

If you have a Spotify Premium subscription, all of my audiobooks are included as part of this. In Premium you get 15 hours a month to listen to whatever you like.

My shorter books are a couple of hours long, and the longer ones up to six hours, so you can listen to a lot of books each month at no extra cost.

Listen to my audiobooks on Spotify here.

~~ Free trial of Audible ~~

Try a free trial of Audible here and download one of my books for free, to keep forever. (Or it’s available for ‘1 credit’ if you already have an Audible subscription).

Phew! I hope this has been helpful and that you get a chance to try at least one of these ways to read or listen to my books for ‘free’!

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your weekend.

xx Fiona

PS. You can read the sample of ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ here on Amazon. It's available on Kindle in paperback, and as an audiobook.

(My Amazon links are affiliate but the price doesn’t change for you, thank you if you choose to use my links!)

Winery lunches and a new cat

 

 

Hello chic friends!

 

We had a lovely mid-winter Christmas lunch at Craggy Range Winery last weekend. Paul, me, and my mum :)

As always, it was done so well - the food, the ambience, the staff... and I got a nice surprise when a reader came over to say hi. So glad you did, Sam! She is a local lady too.

Going out for a nice lunch is one of my favourite 'meals out', I much prefer it to dinner. Especially in the winter.

 

 

The stunning view of Te Mata Peak from Craggy Range Winery

 

I brought my Lady Dior handbag for a rare outing too. Can I tell you about her? In the early 2000s when I worked in the office for Parfums Christian Dior, we were invited (not often, twice in five years, it was a coveted thing), to the Dior Boutique's friends and family sale.

My Lady Dior bag is one of the items I was able to purchase at a steep discount. From memory I may have paid $350 for it, which at the time was still triple what I'd ever paid for a handbag.

It's such a classic piece that I'm glad I splurged. I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's polished black leather and printed pony which I think you'll agree is a perfect match for my blouse 😂

I still have the clip-on shoulder strap, and have seen fancy people like the uber-elegant Susi Rejano wearing her Lady Dior as a crossbody so maybe I'll try that too.

Do you have something like my bag that you bought at the time and enjoyed, but realise now you are SO GLAD you did, even more? A really special piece that brings back good memories of a fun time, and to make new memories with as well?

Describe away!

 

~~

 

 

 

 

We are nearing the end of our reader series of photos to celebrate the release of my newest book ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’. I have so enjoyed receiving and sharing these photos that you have so thoughtfully sent in to me, so thank you!

I have had good feedback that other lovely ladies are enjoying our little trip around the world too 😊 Yay!

Suzanne, in North Carolina sent me this fairytale looking picture above, and I’ll let her explain where she is:

“I absolutely love your books and writing style. I recently finished your book on living a soft life and enjoyed it so very much. I wanted to share a picture relating to living a soft life.

I was having lunch at a beautiful winery with my husband here in No Carolina, USA, and your book helped me to enjoy the experience even more. Thank you so much. Please don’t ever stop writing!”

Thank you Suzanne! What a lovely message to receive, and your lunch outlook is positively dreamy 😍

~~

For today’s book excerpt, I thought I’d share tip no. 82.

:: Connect with others in a way that suits you ::

“I am happiest when by myself, and often at home, but that doesn’t preclude me from enjoying seeing others.

Over the years I’ve realized that I enjoy certain social experiences more than others. I prefer going out for lunch rather than in the evening, and having people around for dinner at home instead of a restaurant.

I also love hosting ladies afternoon tea.

A friend and I used to meet to watch a movie at the theatre on a Saturday afternoon and it was such an enjoyable visit. We’d have coffee afterwards and discuss the movie as well as catch up on our lives.

Decide for yourself how you most enjoy seeing others, and plan for something soon.”

~~

A new cat in the family!

 

My mum lost her 17 year old doggie to old age in May, and recently she gave a home to a rescue cat ('last year's kitten') who was looking for a forever home on Facebook.

 

Her name is Minnie, and she is shy of visitors but loves playing with her toys when home with just mum. I brought her a cat-warming gift of a low-sided basket with some thrift store hand knitted toys and a packet of a dozen table tennis balls (which are distributed throughout the house daily).

 

How funny is she sitting up in the sun on a dining chair? She knows how to find the sun, like all cats do.

Minnie says 'hello' to you, and she's happy to be in her new home 🐱
 

Wishing you a wonderful rest of our weekend and a fab new week to come :)

 

xx Fiona

 

PS. You can read the sample of ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ here on Amazon. It's available on Kindle and in paperback, and the audiobook will be out any day now 😊

 
(My Amazon links are affiliate but the price doesn’t change for you, thank you if you choose to use my links!)