Be clear about what objects can and can’t do

The socks he had on were thick and woollen and he knew they would keep his feet warm, but they could never insulate his soul against the chill of guilt. He rubbed his hands together briskly and breathed out a cloud of warm breath – a cloud that was neither large nor opaque enough to hide his face from the judgement of the world. Then, sheltering from the wind that could not blow away his troubles, he dug in his pocket (a pocket too shallow to contain all the secrets he carried with him) and pulled out a roll of mints. It took him a few attempts to unwrap them, just as it had taken him a few attempts to leave the house – but this time because his fingers were numb with the night’s cold, a numbness which had no bearing on his (also numb) emotional state. His hand shaking – a simple physical reaction to temperature rather than a sign of the fear he felt – he put a mint in his mouth. Its refreshing taste made his tongue tingle with sensation, but it could not prompt a similar feeling in his life as a whole, which remained torpid and unrefreshed by the cooling spearmint flavour of the powdery tablet.

Stories

I’ve been 'being’ lately. Not spending so much time on the computer and only doing what I have to around the house (which seems to take up much of my two days off work per week anyway, even without added decluttering). I’ve been immersing myself in stories – mostly books, but a bit of tv too. Sometimes you just need to do that.

One of life’s greatest pleasures is a good story. I remember loving books as a child – Doghouse for Sale, The Rabbit’s Wedding, Pippi Longstocking, The Bobbsey Twins, Little House on the Prairie and many more. For a while (late teens, and my twenties) I thought I was above stories and declared I only read non-fiction. The good times I denied myself!

Nowadays I read plenty of non-fiction (and it’s not all French-themed) but always have a fiction book on the go. I am reading Emily Giffin’s latest ‘Heart of the Matter’ which is such an enjoyable read. She has written four books before this one. When I came across the first one by her I immediately ordered the following three from the library. She is a very talented ‘real’ chick-lit writer and you really want to know what happens next with the characters.

On a square eyes note, my husband and I are watching the first series of Boston Legal on DVD, since we only came to it in the last couple of series. Every episode is a great story (or stories) and the writing is so clever.

I have also begun viewing the tv series after the mini-series The Starter Wife with Debra Messing. I read the book by Gigi Levangie Grazer initially, then the mini-series and now the tv series. It’s recorded on our hard drive dvd recorder so I’ve got a few up my sleeve. I hardly have any time for it but have committed to two episodes per week, at lunchtime on my day off.

It’s so enjoyable how stories get into your mind and your psyche, and you remember the characters almost as real people. And going back to favourite stories is like visiting an old friend. It’s incredible the power of words strung together in a certain order.

One day I hope to publish a story of my own. It’s been brewing for years. I really admire Kristi for getting going and actually writing the thing.

One of my favourite simple pleasures is reading a book before I go to sleep. Because I have done it for so long, even if I’m really, really tired I have to read at least one page or I can’t fall to sleep.

What are your absolute all-time favourite books to read?

FANFICTION WEEK #5: Kill off other people's characters

As quickly as he had started to feel the heat of her body beside him, she was gone. He spun around and stared at empty air. Already knowing, already feeling the lurch of despair deep in his gut, he looked down. There, where Jane Eyre had been standing, there was just a small pile of ash. The smell of ozone and burning filled his head. He felt dizzy.

‘No,’ he said, quietly. ‘No.’ Then, louder. ‘No!’ He stood, arms outstretched, screaming at the sky. Electric bombs were raining all around him, but he didn’t even see them. It had happened so quickly. One moment she was there, the next she was gone. He had never really understood before now what it meant to lose a life. He felt hollowed out. As the invaders dropped another row – just above head-height now – he closed his eyes and wondered what happened next. Could he really carry on without her? Was there work still to be done?

‘Continue?’ he muttered to himself. ‘Y/N...’

FANFICTION WEEK #4: Explore unlikely relationships

Within moments, they had settled into a perfect interlocking rhythm of destruction, synchronised bullets tearing through countless invaders and thinning their ranks. He glanced over at Jane. A fine film of sweat had formed on her smooth brow as she squeezed off shot after shot. She caught his eye and winked. For a moment, he was thrown off his stride. A bomb missed him by the smallest of margins, so close he could feel the buzz of its electrical heat on his face. He gasped.

‘What’s the matter?’ she asked with a smile. ‘Distracted?’ She pirouetted through a barrage of enemy fire and came to a halt by his side. He could feel the air between them crackling. As the invaders dropped another row and a flurry of bombs fell around them, the heat of her body pressed into his.

Chic Habits

The at home facial. I have almost but forgotten about at home exfoliation and mask, which I used to do religiously twice a week, or once if I was slack. I have reached a new level of slack. The facial I had recently brought this to light.

My French beauty therapist commented on my skin being a lot more dry and sensitive than it had been the first time she had seen me eight months previous. She said the oil had trouble soaking in when she did the facial massage.

I have always had quite oily skin and had a lot of problems when I was younger with oiliness and acne, right into my twenties, so to hear this I almost don’t believe it. I am almost forty now, so I can’t expect oily skin to keep me looking young forever. And I can't keep using skin products designed for normal/combination skin forever.

She asked if I used a good night cream (the cream I have been using is quite light, not good) and was I exfoliating at home. Um, no.

The silly thing is when I did at home exfoliation-and-mask religiously (1-2 times per week) I really enjoyed the whole process. It felt quite spa-like to be in the bathroom with a basin of warm water, a clean hand-towel folded beside me, hair pulled back with a white toweling headband.

Last night I re-started my at-home routine. First, exfoliation with a gentle, natural scrub. I have also used baking soda but found it made my skin a bit pink. I will persevere with baking soda though as I know it's meant to be gentle. But in the meantime I bought an exfoliating product.

After washing off the scrub, I used the Centella floral mask which I purchased from my French beauty therapist. It can be left on or washed off as it is a moisturising one and does not dry like a clay mask. She said it can be used overnight in place of a night cream. It looks creamy and rich and contains wheatgerm and castor oils, as well as essential oils such as cinnamon bark, citrus, lavender, thyme and rosemary.

I also did my hand scrub. To finish off my home facial, I do a hand scrub, with a divine product I won in a magazine giveaway. It is called One Minute Manicure and the one I have is made from the oils of: walnut, grapeseed, avocado, apricot, jojoba and vitamin E mixed with dead sea salt and essential oils (peppermint, orange, lemon, rosemary, spearmint and ruby grapefruit - yum!).

On dampened hands I pour a small amount and proceed to exfoliate my hands thoroughly (using movements like washing them) taking special care around the drier areas like knuckles and the inside of the index finger. Also around the nails and cuticles. When it is washed off in warm water my hands feel like angels should be singing. They are quite soft from the oil, but I also add a rich hand cream like the delicious L’Occitane shea butter one.

It is actually so lovely to use that I would consider purchasing after my gift one has run out. Of course I would try to make some first with salt and olive oil, but after that maybe.

Why did I stop these face and hand treatments? Why Fiona? Would Sabine lie on the sofa watching tv in preference to beautifying herself? I don’t think so. And it’s not even like the two are mutually exclusive. I can mask, then lie. Thinking about it, mask then meditate is probably a better option. I could dim the lights in our bedroom, leave my husband in the living room, settle myself under a rug with relaxing music playing and then drift off on a rose petal, thinking soothing thoughts.

I bought a copy of ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Short Meditations’ by Susan Gregg and there is a great relaxing exercise in it:

The Rose

Everyone knows how to visualize, but we all do it differently. While one person may see images, another person may feel them or hear them. This meditation helps you practice visualization. If you try really hard, images often remain elusive, so just allow yourself to relax and have fun.

Think about a beautiful rose. Imagine a single drop of dew on the edge of one of the petals. Allow yourself to gently be with the image. How do you perceive it? If you find yourself saying, ‘I can’t see a rose,’ just let go of that thought and think about a rose. What colour is it? How big is it? Does it have a scent? Can you see any thorns? Just allow yourself to play with the idea of a rose.

Focus on the texture of the petals. Is the rose fully open or is it a bud? Imagine yourself getting really tiny and sliding down the petal of the rose. When you reach the end of the petal, see yourself floating effortlessly in the air.

Is the rose alone, in a garden, or in part of a beautiful bouquet? What does the light feel like as it reflects off your rose? What thoughts and feelings come to mind as you think about a rose?

I can guarantee if you allow yourself to play with the image, you will be able to ‘see’ it. Relax, breathe, and play. Those are three wonderful concepts that can add immensely to the quality of your life.

I chose this book out of all the others at our local Borders bookstore because it seemed the most down-to-earth and simple way to learn how to meditate. It has lots of different tips and many little meditations like the one above, which I have found very helpful as a meditation novice.

So now I'm back in the saddle, one at-home routine behind me and all is well again this morning in the land of beauty. I will do another in 3-4 days. I like to schedule them when I am washing my hair the next morning then I don't have to worry about product getting into my hairline.

If you'd care to join me, please let us know what chic habits you would like to bring into your life, either on your own blog or in the comments here.

FANFICTION WEEK #3: Experiment with crossovers

He couldn’t do this alone. He needed help, and that could only mean one thing. He grimly thumbed the button on his radio.

‘You need to get over here,’ he barked into the metal grille. There was a burst of static, then a reply.

‘Will do,’ said a voice. ‘I’ll be there in five. Sit tight.’ He dropped the radio and glanced outside. Bombs were still falling thick and fast from the pixellated sky.

‘Still raining,’ he muttered. The ranks of invaders dropped lower with a jolt and the shower of bombs intensified. He would have to do something. Just the bottom row, he told himself.

As soon as he was out from under the bunker roof, he knew it had been a mistake. There were just too many and they were too close. Every move he made to dodge a bomb threw off his targeting. It was only a matter of time before they advanced again. He cursed under his breath. Where was she?

‘Someone call for backup?’ said a voice behind him. He whirled round. There she was, crinoline dress spattered with mud and a shotgun in each hand.

‘You’re a sight for sore eyes, Janey,’ he said. Her eyes glinted in the electric light.

‘That’s Miss Eyre to you,’ she said.

The Home Office Declutter

In the weekend paper, my horoscope said this: 'Venus - your ruling planet - is in Virgo for five more days so use that time to clean, de-clutter and tie up loose ends. When the small things are taken care of, the bigger things will fall into place'. I have never seen a horoscope involving decluttering before. I haven't decluttered at all since my partial wardrobe declutter, so didn't think any more of it.

Yesterday morning, I got up at 6am, as I do. I get up about an hour earlier than I need to so I have time to have a cup of tea and read before getting ready for work. The Universe had other plans for me though, for I found the timer/countdown function on my cellphone and opened the door to... the home office/sewing room.

This hardworking, petite room is where items are placed while I decide what to do with them when decluttering. It's where my magazines are piled up (there are a lot less now after my magazine declutter part 1 and part 2). It's where my sewing machine and overlocker reside, as well as my small stashes of fabric and yarn, embroidery threads, knitting needles, crochet hooks, lace and elastic. It's where I keep all the pages I have pulled out of magazines, and articles printed off blogs and websites. It's where I put gifts from relatives that I don't know what to do with.

The poor, dear room. It deserves better.

Finally taking the 15-minute decluttering advice, I set my timer and got to work. I started putting away items that had been left out homeless, restacking the pile of mending which had fallen everywhere (and vowed to mend one item per night until it was done) and sat down to file pieces of paper.

I am lucky enough to have been given a wooden filing cabinet from my sister-in-law and it now has drop-files labelled with exciting (to me) names like French Chic, Personal Style, Home Style, Gentle Living (my favourite title), Homekeeping (which includes decluttering) and many more, including recipe categories like Baking, Slow Cooking and Sauces/Dressings. Once I have filed everything I can go through each file and thin it out.

The fifteen minutes was up before I knew it and I had already accomplished a lot. The room looked much better. I really wanted to keep going but only had ten more minutes before I needed to be in the shower (I have chunks of time for doing certain things in the morning, as I'm sure you do. I'm in real trouble when one chunk of time runs into the next one. It then all turns to custard at 9am when we have to leave the house). So of course I set my timer for 10 minutes and got back to it.

Today I couldn't wait to get up and do a little bit more home office decluttering, and set my timer for 30 minutes and set to filing. The rule is I'm only allowed to read the article as long as it takes for me to figure out what file it should go into. Otherwise I'd just be reading everything. It all looks so interesting.

It's so much fun looking through things you have kept, especially when they're in 'like' categories. You can really see themes that are important to you. And when they're all thinned out they can go into clear-files for each category. It's like having a magazine especially written for you, and with no advertisements. Who wouldn't love that.

I'm already looking forward to tomorrow morning's instalment. My husband looked at me with 'that look' (the incredulous one) when he heard I had been dawn-decluttering-by-timer. Each to his own I say.