-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Part 2: Day 26 – Sleep That Knits Up The Ravell’d Sleeve of Care…
November 28, 2020 Day 26 is titled “Take a nap” in Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 Chic Days At Home. She writes that she found herself more tired than usual during her home nation New Zealand’s lockdown in Spring of 2020. Interestingly, she notes that the news had reported that many people are feeling more tired than usual during this stressful period. Here in Paris, it’s day one of France’s slow walk out of a month of lockdown. In contrast to the last four weeks of sleepy quiet, my neighborhood market street and the main shopping street are hopping with masked pedestrians. Every shop seems to be decorated for the Christmas…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Part 2: Day 24 – Easy & Thankful
November 26, 2020 Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! I have a lot to be grateful for – and I am especially thankful for you delightful readers. Talking with you through the comments and Instagram messages is a wonderful addition to my day. Day 24 in Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 Chic Days At Home, is titled “Go with the flow.” Fiona encourages us to take it easy on ourselves and follow our interests a bit – whether our interest is getting the closet in order or taking a nap. Yes, we do live in the real world and we do have responsibilities to maintain but sometimes it’s okay to take…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Part 2: Day 21 – Self-Starter
November 23, 2020 “Make do and mend” is Fiona Ferris’s title for Day 21 in her book, 30 Chic Days at Home. She writes that the activity of doing a small “fix-it” task lifts her mood. She likes the sense of control that it gives her to be able to make a small improvement or come up with a creative work-around to an issue. I used to think that dropping an item of clothing off with a tailor or at the dry-cleaners was the easiest thing to do when I found a small tear or loose button. I hated waiting around all day for a service person to come look…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Part 2: Day 7 – “Confinement” Chic
November 9, 2020 In chapter (“Day”) 7 of 30 Chic Days At Home, Fiona discusses how we care for and present ourselves as a way to keep our morale boosted. She wrote her book during New Zealand’s first “lockdown” month which started 25 March 2020 and lasted until the end of April-mid-May. This was Autumn in New Zealand so Fiona’s style preferences were directed towards cold-weather friendly clothing. The main point that she makes in this chapter is that how we dress ourselves influences our emotional setting. We want to be especially intentional in building “mood-lifters” into our day when we are going through tough times. It doesn’t really matter…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Part 2: Day 4 – Little “Nit-noids”
November 6, 2020 “The joy of getting things done” is the title of Day 4 in 30 Chic Days At Home by Fiona Ferris. This day addresses the opportunity to work on making one’s life feel as light and low maintenance as possible. She made a list called “Loose Ends and Bothersome Things” to help her focus on just what she wanted to handle and put away. When I read the title to this chapter, I originally felt more of a Marie Kondo “declutter the whole house” sort of vibe – which felt a bit exhausting. When I read just a few lines further, the title of her list, “Loose…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 10 – How to Use That La Vacance Feeling!
April 29, 2020 Day 10 is “From Paris to the South of France” in 30 More Chic Days by Fiona Ferris. When Fiona moved from the city to a more rural village in New Zealand, she used the idea of being a Parisian who had moved to the South of France to help her adjust to and enjoy the transition to her new location. Transition can be difficult even if it’s a hoped-for and planned change. By using her imagination and framing the transition in a uniquely inspiring way, Fiona was able to have fun with the process. Living here in lockdown Paris, transition seems to be the…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 9 – Channel Chanel
April 28, 2020 “Have a Closet Like Coco” is the title for Day 9 in Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 More Chic Days. Fiona writes that Coco Chanel can give us a few pointers for living the chic life of our dreams. Coco created a unique, specific style vision for herself and she lived according to that vision. What the rest of the world was doing and wearing was not important to her. Coco’s style was comfortable, distinctive and timeless. Her color palette was flattering and consistent. She created a style that suited her preferences and her lifestyle and stuck with it throughout her life. What can we learn from…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 8 – Summer Style
April 27, 2020 Fiona Ferris calls Day 8 “Be Chic In The Summer” in her book, 30 More Chic Days. Fiona writes about how she keeps her “chic” when temperatures and humidity are high. She addresses wardrobe, hair and skincare. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this “Day” is particularly appropriate because summer is rapidly approaching. I looked at two parts of this chapter: clothes and hair. When I live in the US, I’m in a very hot, humid Southern state. To compound the challenge, most indoor spaces like grocery stores or department stores have the air-conditioning temperature set very low. I kid you not, I keep…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 28 – More Chocolate, Please.
In Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 Chic Days, Fiona calls Day 28, “Think of Your Home As If It Were A Boutique Hotel.” She gives a collection of really good ideas to get us up and moving to keep our space in a lovely condition. Fiona’s idea is that when our personal space is tidy and clean, we feel happier, more relaxed and can engage with life in a more positive way. I do agree with her. A lot, in fact. You wouldn’t be able to deduce that, however, from the state of my apartment today. Yes, my lovely, chic Paris apartment (that I share with my husband and our two…
-
A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 16 – Home Sweet Home
“Create a Sanctuary at Home” is Fiona’s title for Day 16 in her book, 30 Chic Days. And what a pertinent topic for this “Lockdown” Spring of 2020! Fiona writes that she wants her home to nurture and uplift everyone who lives there. Her preference is for a minimalist space decorated in neutral tones to foster a calm and serene feeling. Her personal preferences are echoed in the book, Simplicity Parenting, Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa M Ross. The basic message from both Fiona and Payne is that too many objects (clutter) and too many…