0 Day 9: Reader Q&A - Dana

Dana asked:

I have many questions (hope you don't mind!)

1. favorite movie?

2. favorite book?

3. favorite perfume?

4. favorite memory?

5. favorite food?

6. favorite flower?

7. favorite thing to do on a lazy day?

8. favorite song?

Hi Dana, of course I don’t mind.  I only hope my answers are good enough for you because it’s hard for me to choose a favourite anything – there are just too many good choices.  Okay, let’s get cracking.

Favourite movie.  I like many different types of movie genres, so to choose one is très difficult.  We watched To Catch A Thief with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant a few months ago and it was SO good.  However I also love really silly movies like Dumb and Dumber and Legally Blonde.  Australian movie Red Dog is wonderful.  Then there’s the fashion movie genre for such gems as The Devil Wears Prada.  And not to forget French subtitle movies which always make me feel very intelligent, worldly and stylish when I watch them.  There are light-hearted French movies too, such as anything Audrey Tautou is in.  Movies I won’t watch are ones that are depressing, worthy with no other qualities, scary or blow-em-up.  I like to laugh or be inspired (bonus if both at once), that’s my criteria for a top movie.

Favourite book.  Again, there are so many different types of books to choose from.  Off the top of my head for different reasons are No More Hangovers which changed my life, Jemima J, the Shopaholic series, Anne Barone’s Chic & Slim, Chic & Slim Encore plus Techniques No. 1, authors Jackie Collins, Joanna Trollope, Kristi Belcamino, JK Rowling’s Robert Galbraith, Jennifer L. Scott.  My list is so long, I think I will have to do a blog page dedicated to books.

Favourite perfume.  Going with the theme here, I don’t have one favourite – I love too many.  I love pricey perfumes such as Chanel Coco Noir, and at the other end of the price scale I also love Jovan White Musk.  I suppose I do prefer fragrances with light musk, vanilla, woody, floral, maybe fruity/aquatic for a change once in a while.  It’s probably easier to say what I don’t like – anything very herbaceous and strong, clove, licorice or cinnamon in perfumes.  I love reading up on Fragrantica.  I’ve learnt so much from this website and also found new perfumes to try.  I’ve bought a few Avon ones from my Avon lady – I’m wearing Night Magic today and it’s so lovely and soft.

Favourite memory.  Having fun with my family when I was little, no specific memory, just being together and joshing about with each other.  There is also one specific time from when my first niece was born eight years ago.  My sister was at home with her and I visited during a weekday, my brother turned up at the same time and we had the best afternoon.  It was cold outside and cosy inside and it was a day when the energy just clicked and we all enjoyed each other’s company in a silly way.  We can all revert to childhood immaturity very quickly, which I love.

Favourite food.  It doesn’t have a chic ring to it, but I’m going to say potato.  I love hot chips/French fries, potato chips, baked potato, little new boiled ones with butter, mashed potato and roast potato.  I know they’re from the nightshade family which is supposed to be poisonous but I still love potatoes.

Favourite flower.  Big pale pink trumpet lilies for the beautiful scent that reminds me of Christmas (they are called Christmas lilies here because they bloom in December).  If I was Tamara Ecclestone I’d have them delivered every week for my vestibule table (I’d also have a vestibule and a vestibule table if I was Tamara Ecclestone).  I would have to have a little Danger tape around them to protect the cats, thanks to Anonymous’ comment on a previous post.  I love spring flowers such as daffodils, jonquil, early cheer and grape hyacinth, and highly scented roses.

Favourite thing to do on a lazy day.  Be at home with the fire going, books to read, knitting to do and a laptop to write on.  The fairies would have cleaned my house so I could just enjoy it without having to do any housework too.  Blissful!

Favourite song.  I love ‘Dream a little dream’ and have almost learnt all the lyrics so I can sing it to myself.  Also, ‘Lullaby in Birdland’, same thing with learning the lyrics.  Only to myself though.

Thanks for a fun question Dana!

Detail: Day 9: Reader Q&A - Dana

0 Love where you live

I’m always daydreaming about our perfect home, and I don’t know yet if it’s a rural setting, a city apartment or a traditional brick and tile, but I imagine how it will be.  I do actually love where we live, but it isn’t perfect.  And guess what, the next place won’t be perfect either.  Even if it’s quite new there will still be things I don’t like about it, maintenance to be done and areas to improve on.

I always imagine when I have my perfect place that I will enjoy caring for it exquisitely.  I will keep it clean and tidy and it will be clutter-free because I want it to feel airy and joyful.

Again, guess what, I can do that right now where I live and enjoy living there even more.  I can make a list of the improvements and tick them off, or if there are things I cannot change or that don’t really need changing and just don’t meet my ideal aesthetic, then I can choose not to see them.

This is not new thinking at all, but sometimes I have to re-remember that I have a choice to love where I am right now and that will make everything better both now and in the future, because it will bring about good habits and ways of thinking that benefit me and those around me.

When my sister and I were single and flatted together fifteen years ago, our flatmate went out a few times with a woman who ended up moving to Australia.  He said to us of her that when she got there looking for this glittering new life, ‘she would still be there’.  It was the first time I’d been introduced to the concept that wherever we go, we take ourselves with us, and it is actually us that creates our experience, not a different backdrop.  It’s up to us to be the change we want to see, to borrow from Ghandi I think it is.   

So this takes me back to my home and how I want to feel in it.  Words that come to mind are:  happy, carefree, content and peaceful.  What are some ways I can feel happy, carefree, content and peaceful now?

Take care of all that I have, exquisitely

Appreciate my home and everything around me

Keep my life feeling free by not overloading myself with obligations and possessions

Make the decision to feel happy, carefree, content and peaceful

Focus on things that make feel me happy, carefree, content and peaceful

So today I am re-committing to living where I love by loving where I live.

I ordered the first season dvd of Cedar Cove from Amazon recently since I couldn’t buy it in New Zealand.  I have watched three episodes so far, and look forward to the next cosy viewing with my favourite Andie MacDowell.  I love Andie and I love making myself feel good with wholesome, ‘nice’ tv viewing (taking inspiration from the last point on my list above).

And to finish, here is one of my favourite motivational snippets which came from a homemaking blog many years ago.  The link to the blog that I had is no longer there but I did find it on a newer post/blog, not sure if it’s the same person who wrote it or not.

--

Do It Anyway

We can enjoy life or we can survive life. Our daily responses to the little things determine which it will be.

If the carpet is worn, vacuum it anyway.

If the furniture is old, dust it anyway.

If the linoleum is scuffed, sweep it anyway.

If the tub is stained, scour it anyway.

If the sink is leaky, clean it anyway.

If the toilet needs fixed, scrub it anyway.

If the bedspread needs updated, make your bed anyway.

If the rug is frayed, straighten it anyway.

If the pillows are lumpy, fluff them anyway.

If the clothes are out-of-date, iron them anyway.

If the shoes are cheap, shine them anyway.

If the closet is too small, organize it anyway.

If the dishes are chipped, wash them anyway.

If the table is rickety, wipe it anyway.

If the kids are fussy, hug them anyway.

If the hubby is cranky, kiss him anyway.

If the neighbours are loud, wave at them anyway.

If the clerk is rude, smile at her anyway.

IF LIFE IS LESS THAN PERFECT... ENJOY IT ANYWAY!

We can live in Order without perfection; Peace without luxury, and Joy without convenience.

Life is what you make of it... so do it anyway.

--

Full disclosure:  I just signed up for an Amazon affiliate link where I make a small commission if you go there from my blog.

Detail: Love where you live

0 Day Ten: Motivating Viewing

Composite image from Google

I love to watch tv or a movie with my feet up on the sofa as much as the next lazy person.  Sometimes I’m in the mood for something stylish and French, and… sometimes I’m not.  But if I’m going to be lounging around with trashy tv for a few hours, why not be motivated at the same time.

I re-watched The Devil Wears Prada today, on a super-rainy and cosy day at home.  I initially only put it on to watch the opening credits because I love them so much.  KT Tunstall sings ‘Suddenly I See’, while beautiful and slim New York women get ready for their day.  That in itself motivates me to be my best, non-slobby, slimmest person who makes an effort when she gets ready for work in the morning.

But the film carried on and I just didn’t want to stop it.  I watched parts and was out of the room for parts while I did my housework.  I definitely made sure I was in the room for the Paris part.  It’s such a beautiful and glamorous piece of the movie.

Plus The Devil Wears Prada is humorous, just another bonus.  Laughing is so good for you and very much under-rated by some I think.

Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), holding up a flamboyant orange dress with a tiered skirt:

'What do you think of this?’

Nigel (Stanley Tucci):

'Yeah, well you know me.  Give me a full ballerina skirt and a hint of saloon and I’m on board’.  

Other motivating ‘trashy’ viewing I love:

Desperate Housewives.  I like to re-watch episodes every now and then to be inspired by their homes (especially Bree and her Martha Stewart-ness), their slenderness and the way they dress.  I’d love to wear a pencil skirt and elegant blouse like Bree, but the reality is that I probably dress more casually like Susan, or maybe a mix of the two.  I neverwant to dress like Lynette (or Edie for that matter!). And again, it's really funny.

Sex and the City.  Both the series and the movies.  The girls have fun with fashion and inspire me to try different things in the way I dress.  Plus their homes are great to see, and being set in NYC is a definite bonus.

Another motivating movie I saw at the pictures, and now have on dvd:  This is War.  Yes, Reese Witherspoon has rather fallen from grace, but I love this movie because of her personal style in it.  The outfits are great, very wearable and good to take inspiration from.  I love her casual look of skinny jeans, high heels and a pretty top, and the scene where she dances around the house in a long sweatshirt and nothing else is very motivating as she looks so good and it helps me step away from the potato chip bag.  And your man won’t mind watching this one with you because it’s quite a boy/comedy movie.

I’d love to hear any of your motivating tv programmes or movies as I’m always keen to add some to my list!

Detail: Day Ten: Motivating Viewing