Saturday, March 23, 2024

Autumn in New Zealand, and relaxing crafts


 
Hello from sunny, autumnal Hawke's Bay!
 
I am making the most of wearing my summer sandals on the warmer days, but we have also lit the fire some evenings as well. It’s winter one day and summer the next!

Autumn is a nice time of year for linen and I am drawn to it right now. This yellow blouse is linen, and I also have a couple of white linen shirts that feel lovely on. The fabric is slightly heavier than for true summer temperatures and linen feels cozy and snuggly in a lightweight way.

How is your change-of-season wardrobe switch going? I always leave it too late and only do it when I can’t find any suitable clothes. Maybe this year I can be more intentional about it? I’ve made a good start :)

~~
 
Ladies lunch at my mum's this week 🍃

 ~~

 


For ages I've been collecting pretty cards, stickers, and stylish postage stamps in a small box, planning to make my own greeting cards from them one day.

Well this one is the first I’ve made, for my Aunty's birthday last month. I love the colours and the cats and the French stamp.

Such fun! It’s great finding crafty projects that are actually useful (as useful as a greeting card can be!)

Doing things like this are all part of living (and loving) my epic small life. They are satisfying and you get something lovely at the end.




Pottering away on something like this doesn’t take much time (I always have the looming spectre of something being ‘a waste of time’ if it takes me too long :) and it’s fun too. Something you can do with your inner child.

Tell me something you like to do ‘just for fun’ but that produces a good result too. I’d love some more ideas to add to my ‘play’ list.

The book above is available on Amazon, in paperback and as a Kindle eBook.

And if you prefer an Amazon alternative you can download the eBook from my eStore.

Happy weekend to you, chic friend!

xx Fiona

PS. My audiobook ‘100 Ways to be That Girl’ is now available in my eStore too, for instant download. You can see it here

 

 
 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Audiobook out now, and our weekend away!


 
Hello chic friends,
 
I have exciting news - for me anyway :) and hopefully for you too!
 
She's finally here - my first audiobook, and I chose to begin with '100 Ways to be That Girl'.

You can find her on Audible as well as at most other audiobook retailers.

You can even ask your local library to order in the audiobook. How cool is that?

I hope you enjoy it, and also the narrator I chose. I ‘interviewed’ quite a few, and I loved how this lady sounds, and how she suits my books.

Before I proceed with the rest of my books into audiobook format, I’d love to get a little feedback on my narrator, so please let know directly, or via a review on Audible.

Thanks to all of you who have requested my titles as audiobooks, we’re now on our way!
 
~~
 
Also, in local travel news haha, Paul and I went away to Tauranga last week for a couple of nights, and had such a fab time. It was warm and sunny, and there was a real buzz around.

I've shared a few photos from our trip :)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

xx Fiona
 










 
 

Friday, March 8, 2024

A winery harvest lunch, the end of summer, and do YOU want to be an author?


 
Hello chic friends!
 
Last weekend Paul and I were invited to the Alpha Domus vineyard harvest lunch here in sunny Hawke's Bay and it was such a fabulous day.

Chardonnay grapes. They were so sweet!

 
There were about thirty of us there, and we picked Chardonnay grapes in the morning. After that we had a beautiful lunch outside under market umbrellas at big long tables.


I did do proper work, promise! Almost four hours of picking!

 
We also got to tour the winery and taste the juice from the grapes we picked. It was such a fun glimpse into the workings of a winery. I'm sure it's not romance and moonlight all the time; I know it's a lot of hard work but we sure had a good time that day!




Our hosts were generous, kind and friendly, as always. Thank you! (We are part of their Merlin wine club so that's how we received our invite.)
 
~~
 
 

 
This is our agapanthus 'hedge' when it was looking all summery. Now that we are heading into autumn the flowers are gone and it's a simple green line again.

Mother Nature moves us along whether we are ready to go or not.

Can you see Daphne photobombing from our patio area? 😂 She is never far from me, little sweetheart.

I love watching big city vlogs, and it always amuses me that we are heading into autumn while most of the world (let's face it, the southern hemisphere doesn't have many people in it) is looking forward to spring.

I'm excited for a change of season, cozy days, lighting the woodburner, different clothes, and writing or pottering inside guilt-free (dad always told us to get fresh air and play outside when it was sunny).

I hope you are enjoying the last of the summer/winter and looking forward to autumn/spring where you are!

In fact, just for fun, please share with me where you're reading this from, and what you are most looking forward to in the incoming season. As with my vlog-watching, it always tickles my fancy that we can connect with each other from all over the world, in real time!

~~

Whether you want to be chic in the summer or chic in the winter, please check out my books here on Amazon.


 
 
By being intentional at the beginning of the season about how you want to show up, what personal style you’d love to portray, how you would dine in your idealistic chic life and what kinds of experiences you want to have, you can really wring all the juice out of the season! Doing this slows time down and lets you really enjoy every day.
 
 

You can also download the eBooks from my eStore too, for an Amazon alternative.

 
~~
 
 

 
And I'm celebrating - as you can see in the screenshot above, more than 100,000 copies of my books have now been ordered, and it's all thanks to you, my lovely readers. I couldn't love what I do more, and I'm so appreciative that you read what I write!

I started self-publishing in 2015 and my journey started several years before that when I began writing on my first blog. You just never know what can happen when you give something a go.

If you have always wanted to write a book, I'd love you to sign up for my ten-part email series with tips and prompts on starting your writer's journey.

It's completely FREE and I've had great feedback from the people who have gone through it.

All it takes is a little time, and for you to put your doubts aside. Self-doubt will always be there, but you can choose not to listen. And, over time that voice will become quieter - thank goodness!

So if you've had even an inkling that you'd love to write a book, go to this link and join me (there is no cost and no obligation - yay!)

As you might already know, everything I do has to be fun, enjoyable, and softly driven, and this email series is no different.

And, please join me in celebrating 100,000 copies - I am raising my cup of tea as we speak! Champagne is not really appropriate at 7.45am (I know, I’m such a wet blanket 🤣) It might be later in the day where you are!

Lots of love and huge thanks,
Fiona

PS. I also have a book called 'The Chic Author' available for instant download on Kindle, and a paperback version too. Same topic, different information. It's here on Amazon.




And for an Amazon alternative, the eBook is in my eStore here, also available for instant download.
 
 
 
(My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I’m grateful if you use my links!)

Friday, March 1, 2024

My newest interview, and teddy bear handcrafts


 
 Hello chic friends,

I'm thrilled to share my latest interview with you, available now on YouTube or you can watch it below :)




The delightful Daniela Acitelli interviewed me and we had such a fun hour chatting.

I had a fabulous time with her – she is a great interviewer. I hope you enjoy it too!

~~



We had a bright moon last Saturday night, with ribbon-like clouds adding to the beauty.

Plus, fairy lights in the trees of course. I love restocking at Christmas and enjoying them all year round.

Such a magical evening view it was!

I like nothing better than a Saturday night at home, just the two of us with a lovely dinner and wine to go with it.

And jazz on the stereo too. Bliss ❤️

~~

I love doing little handcrafty projects but don't often have the opportunity.

My Aunty's childhood bear Edward (who is more than seventy years old) needed teddy bear surgery after their miniature dachshund puppy savaged Edward's face...

It was such a fun project, and even though he looks different than he did, he now has a sweet face again.



You can see through the photos how he progressed from all his stuffing hanging out, to a stitched up face, to a new facelift.

I googled 'how to stitch a teddy bear nose, and other equally cute phrases. He also needed an ear and one paw mended ❤️


I like to use what I have so the fabric, and button eyes were in my small stash of bits and pieces.

I knitted his jersey back in the eighties from leftover yarn that I'd made my own bat-wing 'house jersey' from. It's such fun to use what you have.

Handcrafts bring happy memories!

 



(Edward is quite bare as my Aunty plucked him as a child 😂)

And he is so old and fragile that you have to support his neck like a newborn 😭

I hope you enjoyed Edward's story today!

Do you have an old toy? I have 'Susie Doll' from the early 1970s. And my Daisy doll from a little later, maybe the early eighties.

xx Fiona

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Creating your own personal style and being a chic success

Micky and me ❤️
Ready to go out for lunch, except Micky stayed home 😊

 
Hello chic friends!

As you can see, I’m still loving my soft-bright shades paired with denim.

Colour just makes me feel so happy!

I think it’s important to go with what your heart chooses for you, regardless of trends.

I love the monochromatic neutrals look, and black with cream in outfits on other people, but for everyday wear for myself I’m drawn to colour.

It makes me feel feminine, pretty, and sparkly ✨✨

Sometimes all it takes is one new piece in a colour, style or texture that rings your bell to inject a little freshness into your personal style and lead you in a new direction.
 
If you’d like a little inspiration to cultivate your best personal style, go and read the free sample of my book ‘The Chic Closet: Inspired ideas to develop your personal style, fall in love with your wardrobe, and bring back the joy of dressing yourself’.




It’s available in paperback and on Kindle here on Amazon.

And the eBook is available in my eStore here for an Amazon alternative.

For a book all about style, there are no pictures! I want you to create a dreamy vision for yourself rather than be distracted by images that might not be your thing. I promise it works!
 
~~
 
 
❤️ My sweet Nina cat ❤️


Nina has been a total superstar about wearing this cute little collar after I found a small injury in her 'armpit' that I think she must have done on a tree branch or something outside. At 13 1/2 she is still a very active outdoor girl!

She had a vet appointment this week and is now feeling much better with antibiotics and painkillers from being all stitched up.

She seems to have taken everything in her stride and was busy eating after we got home, and even let me give her her medicine.

Then straight back to grooming, what she could reach anyway 😊

She really lives up to her nickname of Kitten how she is so resilient and just gets on with things. Not much stands in her way of living a good cat life!

So please keep Nina in your thoughts as she wears her collar and takes her medicine for the next week or so.

I just think she looks so pretty in her lovely collar 🥰 My little tuxedo girl 🥰

~~
 

 
And to finish, I have a reminder for you today: you don't need to hustle hard or exhaust yourself in order to feel like a 'chic success.

Being a chic success is all about approaching life satisfaction from the feminine perspective, where you take into account enjoyment, softness, having fun, and doing the things you love.

And being this way can be compatible with building financial and career success, in my opinion!

For some of us, there is no other way to be. We just end up making ourselves miserable if we even try (I know, I have).

If you are curious about a different - gentler - style of goal-setting and creating success in all areas of your life, treat yourself to a copy of '100 Ways to be a Chic Success and Create Your Dream Life' on Kindle or in paperback.

It's a petite easy-to-read book jam-packed with inspiration and ideas to help you become wealthier not just financially, but emotionally, socially, and happiness-wise too.

According to my readers (via reviews on Amazon 😍 - thank you!):

'I have read quite a few of her books and this one is my favorite so far. Her suggestions are so on point and proceed in a logical order. By the time I finished I was convinced that I could create my dream life.'

'Like a best friend who cheers you on. I’ve read most of Fiona’s books. This one feels particularly special. Reading it is like having a lovely brunch with a good friend. The book is full of warmth and positivity and gave me a bunch of ideas about how to reimagine the way I live my day-to-day life.'

'I love this book. Fiona is like my cheerleader. She gives me the hopes and desires to be a chic success.. I plan on reading this book again it is worth keeping. It is a valuable book in my library. Which I will take down from shelves many more times. Thank you, Fiona.'

All reviews are welcomed and appreciated, so if you have taken the time to write a review or even just do the stars thing, thank you!
 
Wishing you a fab weekend and that all your pets are safe and well!

xx Fiona

~~
 

~~

(My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I’m grateful if you use my links!)

Friday, February 16, 2024

'Treat time' and, my first audiobook!


 
Good morning! It's been a lovely bright week here and I have exciting news.

Very soon my first audiobook is coming out! I am starting with '100 Ways to be That Girl' with more to come. It's been uploaded, it just takes a little time for it to filter through to all the different audiobook retailers such as Audible, Spotify and iTunes among others - 38 places in total including libraries! So keep an eye out for it but I'll definitely let you know when I spy it available. And, ask your online library to order the audiobook in for you!

I've decided to go with a professional voice actor for a premium listening experience. I always thought I preferred it when authors narrated their own books, but now I have changed my mind. I've listened to a sample of the lady I have chosen and I love how she brings this book alive.

And while that magic is happening, I get to carry on writing my next book :) I've been writing most days this week and it's such an enjoyable way to spend time.

Please tell me, which audiobook should I do next? Which title would you choose? Let me know!



 
If you haven’t already read ‘100 Ways to be That Girl’ you can order it here on Amazon Kindle and in paperback (also available on Kindle Unlimited).

‘That girl’ is who everyone wants to be. She has it all going on! Others wonder how she does it so well. In this book I’ll share all her secrets.

Her message is all about standing out from the crowd and harnessing the power of how ‘she’ would be, to instantly:

- Become unforgettable
- Feel happier and more confident
- Stop worrying about what others think of you
- Power ahead in your own life
- Feel unshakeable

‘That girl’ is our alter ego, the one who has more fun, makes more money, and is better looking.

Let’s cultivate our 'that girl' persona and see how fabulous life can get. Age or body size are no barrier to creating our dream life, with the help of our inner ‘that girl’. We are going to be ‘that girl’ in our own life, the leading lady in our own movie!

It was so fun to write this book. I got to be a little over the top, but as usual with my writing, it is also grounded in reality. It always pays to have the best of both worlds I believe!

If you have a friend who you think might enjoy this book too, please share this post with them 😊

(My Amazon link is affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I’m appreciative if you choose to use my links!)

~~

Celebrating Valentines Day this week with my Starbucks cup from a few years back. I love the jaunty beret lid! Both for the practicality (I love my drinks piping hot) and the cuteness of it 😍



~~
 
Summer tomatoes from our garden :)
'Black' and yellow cherry tomatoes

~~

This is the view into the living room from our patio. They wait there stalking us for treats when we are relaxing after work 🤣


When your doggies tone in with your decor perfectly 😂🧡🧡


I get the feeling they are training me... The way it should be: me training them not to beg for treats, is still a work in progress, and I've been trying for six years now.

How the treat begging goes: Daphne (on the right here) suddenly sits up straight while also tippety-tapping her paws animatedly. She fixes a very pointed, expectant gaze on me like I've just offered her a treat.

Then, when I don't respond by going and getting a treat for everydoggy, she does a loud 'cack' bark. Just one sharp bark to alert me that I have in fact forgotten I need to go and get her a treat.

Then Micky dog (not pictured), joins in and starts a high-pitched huffy whine.

That, interspersed with Daphne's periodic 'cack' bark really crimps my relaxing atmosphere and Penny Vincenzi book reading I can tell you.

I don't want to give in but I do, every time. Chloe (pictured on the left here) waits patiently for her treat because she knows Daphne and Micky are doing all the work for her.

This happens every. single. night. And multiple times a night often too.

So.

It's really fun to have three dogs 🤣🤣

'Fun'.

Do your doggies do this? Badger you into treats? Or I am just too soft a dog mum?

I don't know how to fix the situation so I just follow their lead and hand out the treats 😂 But I do break them in half so they aren't getting too many. I'm 'that' dog mum haha!

Happy almost weekend, it's Friday here, yay! And this weekend is the big Art Deco celebration in Napier that people come from all around the world to see. We have English guests staying with my aunty at the moment who came at this time to do the Art Deco thing.

It's beautifully sunny and settled weather too, so that's fabulous for all the events that are on.

We might pop along and see what's happening as well. It would be wrong not to when it's all on our doorstep.

Happy weekend to you!

xx Fiona


Friday, February 9, 2024

A long weekend


 
Hello chic friends!
 
Last weekend was a long weekend due to a public holiday and my husband took a few extra days off work too, so we went wine tasting one of those days. It was such an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. We are at Trinity Hill wines here, just ten minutes down the road from our house. Their tasting glasses are Riedel (a very fine, very expensive brand) so it shows their attention to detail. Everything about our experience was exquisite!

And I've finished my first jigsaw puzzle too!

 

Since we were 'on vacation' it felt nice to be noodling away on my puzzle :)

I felt very proud that I got to the end. I definitely had new hobby regret in the beginning, haha. It felt so H A R D and I wondered how people ever completed them. But here we are. Finished!

 

 
I can see how they could become addicitive though :) And... still maybe a waste of time? When that thought came to me I kept countering it with, 'I am exercising my brain'. And it's fun! Surely no worse a way to spend time than watching television, which I do as well and never think 'What a waste of time'.

So, just wanted to share this and toot my own horn!
 
 



Plus, earlier this week I did an interview with Daniela Acitelli and it was so much fun. She is a blast. I can't wait for you to see it on YouTube within the next few weeks. I'll let you know when it's up!
 
 

 
And finally, I just finished this book by Nita Prose and it was so good. Her writing is crisp and clean and I adore the character of Molly the head maid, as well as the supporting characters. As with all things I find myself loving, the story and the characters had 'heart'.

I read the first book ‘The Maid’ in this series as well and it was fabulous. (I see ‘The Maid’ is being made into a movie too. I'm sure it will be excellent!)

There is nothing like sitting down with a real book to feel relaxed, don't you think?

For my next read I have decided to choose a book from my shelf - Penny Vincenzi's 'An Absolute Scandal' which I've been wanting to read for a while. The 756 page length put me off I admit, but I'm ready for the challenge!

I love how Penny writes such detailed and descriptive books, this one about wealthy and titled London folks coming unstuck financially. As well as plenty of secrets and lies. Such fun! I like to keep my own life simple so I can enjoy reading about others with complicated lives. Cautionary tales if you will :D

Plus, it's Friday here, yay! Even though I work from home and pretty much have the same 'schedule' no matter the day of the week, Fridays have their own special, fun, exciting vibe.

Happy weekend to you, and please let me know what you're enjoying reading at the moment!

xx Fiona
 
 
PS. If you need a little inspirational reading, pick up bestseller '100 Ways to be That Girl' on Kindle or in paperback, or read it for free if you are subscribed to Kindle Unlimited.

 

 
(My Amazon link is affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I’m appreciative if you choose to use my links!)
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