A Chic Paris Lockdown – Part 2: Day 16 – The Special Occasion is Now

 November 18, 2020

Fiona Ferris urges us to use our “specials” – our nice things – right now in Day 16 of her book, 30 Chic Days At Home.  All of us are living through frightening and uncertain times right now. Fiona has brought out her special treasures to add beauty and a comforting sparkle to her day. She’s doing things like using her nicer china for her morning tea, burning the lovely candle that was a recent gift, and spritzing on her favorite “special occasion” perfume even though she’ll be at home all day.  She writes that pulling out a few of her nicest things adds a bubble of enjoyment into her regular day.

I don’t have many of my “special” things with me here in Paris. We moved here with each person bringing a large, checked suitcase and a carry-on bag. (I did take some space in my husbands big suitcase.)  I have added a few things like pretty silver-plate forks and spoons from the Vanves weekend outdoor flea market and a few beautiful cashmere sweaters from the French national winter sale period back in February (ah, those halcyon pre-Covid days.) As a way of “using my nice things,” I tidied the apartment today and cleared a few cluttered corners. My apartment is a “nice thing” – I feel very priviledged to have such a pretty space. When I finished a basic 20-minute tidying, I couldn’t believe how much nicer the rooms looked. (I guess that pile of papers and office supplies on the floor near the round table wasn’t really adding much to the ambiance, was it?) The little stapler, tape dispenser and package of paperclips look much better in the little metal cookie tin by the printer.

We have all heard the idea that we should use our nice things because we know that life is short (no matter how many years we have) and NOW is the only time that we really have. I like how Fiona’s perspective is a little more upbeat. She encourages us to use our “nice” things right here in this moment simply because they bring us joy.