Budgeting and DIY...being busy does not have to = ugly life...

 

Hello Friends. Yes I have been quiet. Things have been a tad busier than I usually like at Chateau Mimi, what with family commitments and new ovens and sewing for the school and such.

 

I'm still tying up loose ends, but wanted to assure you that even in the midst of all that silliness, my life has remained chock-a-block full of loveliness of many kinds.

 

So often, we use the excuses of 'I'm too busy', 'I'm too tired', 'I'm too broke' or 'I can't be bothered', to justify neglecting the things that make our hearts sing and our souls, content.

Can I tell you though, that on my busiest, sometimes most stressful days, the ones where the Musician Husband has grown weary of the house being coated in a light smattering of glitter, sequins and feathers, and The Diva is asking if we can have something fresh (as in not a pre-cooked at home frozen dinner) tonight, and the Granddaughters want my attention, and the family wants to visit, and the dog needs a bath, and the bed linen needs changing, but I have to have these costumes done and dusted by tomorrow, so it ALL has to wait....

 

On those days, the things that help me rise with a smile and a spring in my step, are the things that I have made an effort to prepare for ME. The things that MY eyes fall upon that make the day special. The little touches that mean that I haven't forgotten to nurture myself, in the midst of catering to everyone elses needs. The things that don't necessarily cost much in the way of money or energy or time, but that make my life more joyful.

So on a Sunday afternoon, I found the French coathangers on the left of my photo top of this post (thankyou Pinterest), and decided that I'd wrap some wire ones in strips of vintage sheeting for a similar effect. I was actually going to stiffen the fabric, and paint the completed coathangers gold, but decided they looked so pretty, that I'd leave them as is. Look at these things for inspiration, not imitation, I say.

 

 

My husband, dear man that he is, brought roses home more than once, and rather than display one bunch in one spot, I chose to spread them all over the house in bud vases. There's nothing more likely to make me smile, than a rose in a bud vase. I'm easily pleased.

 

 

Breakfast doesn't always have to be in a bowl. A favourite yoghurt parfait, topped with Fruits de Jour in a large coffee mug, makes breakfast portable, and a wander in the garden is almost obligatory, cup and spoon in hand. Those moments of solitude, or companionship should the Husband decide to join me, make for a serene start to the day.

 

 

Passing on heirloom recipes to The Diva has been a priority this year as she comes to the end of her schooling. How could I send my Darling Girl out into the world without having shown her how to make real Vanilla custard, or my mouthwatering Pate`...

 

Or the secret to the gluten free Golden Syrup Tart she loves so much.

 

And my perennially famous Lasagna, layered with home made gluten free Crepes instead of pasta, so two lessons in one there, really.

 

 

An afternoon of packaging school dance costumes, gave me an excuse to make my favourite little Citrus Cakes, decorating them with slivers of home grown Cumquats. They were devoured, and are reminisced about often by the Mums involved. Such a simple thing, and a gluten free butter cake mix to boot. But baked in heart shaped tins, with lime zest in the batter and the icing, and topped with little segments of freshly picked Cumquat, suddenly memorable.

 

And when the family complains about having 'leftovers' for dinner, what's a Mum to do but turn them (the leftovers that is, not the family!),  into glorious little rustic pies. It is pie weather here in the Southern Hemisphere after all.

 

Of course one can only sew so many sequins, and construct what seems to be an endless row of Pillbox hats and tulle and sequin headpieces, before the urge to stitch something that requires little more than a straight line, calls to you. Well, it starts as a straight line, and then I'm thinking...

 

"These Busroll teatowels would look so much neater with mitred corners"

 

....and a whole new obsession begins.

 

I mastered them in the end, but honestly, I still don't understand how. It's sorcery I tell you....hahahahaha!

 

Some of these I kept for my 'new' kitchen, and some are being gifted to friends (like Emily...I haven't forgotten you, Em!).

 

So I for one, am grateful to put March, April and May behind me, and embrace June.

 

June means the fireplace is going with a cheery fire most days. June means our Wedding Anniversary (19th this year!), June means a Winter Beach Holiday....yes the weather is a constant contradiction in the Tropics! June heralds a return to a somewhat ordinary routine, and I love it.

 

June will also mean a return to my other passion...sharing my tips for a lovely life with you, all of my beautiful blogging and online friends.

 

And for THAT, I am truly grateful. You all keep me accountable, and hungry for new ideas. You are the ones that have me mastering mitred corners, and stocking my Christmas gift shelves with pretty DIY gifts. You inspire me to dream, create and inspire.

 

Thankyou.

 

How has life been for you? Tell me everything....

 

...Mimi...

10 low cost ways to live in luxury...

 

You can live well, and even feel like you live luxuriously, if you just separate what marketing tells us is 'luxurious' as opposed to the things that really stand the test of time in the lives of the truly wealthy.

 

Here are some of my favourites.

 

1. Monogramme or personalise household items. You can monogramme serviettes, pillowcases, handkerchiefs, or even personalised gift ribbon ordered online. A monogramme can be flowing script stitched in embroidery floss and fancy stitches, or block letters stitched in wool and running stitch and look equally effective. If embroidery is beyond you, look to stencilling or ordering ribbon printed with 'made by (insert your initials)' with which to tie your home made gifts. This in itself elevates home made to a whole new level. Etsy has many shops who offer this service. What about tearing an old floral sheet into strips and wrapping the lengths around wire coathangers before embellishing them with a big satin bow? Perfect for that special outfit, and non-slip to boot. I love that these mimic the antique French hangers, shown left. A bit of pretty for almost nothing, and a gorgeous gift in a set of 4 or 6.

 

I have an entire alphabet of monogrammes, downloaded from needlenthread.com, which is also a wonderful resource for learning to embroider.

2. Wear lovely lingerie. Yes even if you're 'of a certain age'. Why not? The pleasure of sliding into gorgeous lace trimmed undergarments should not be limited to the young. You don't imagine Lady Grantham of Downton Abbey slipping into stretch cotton over her industrial strength lycra, do you? Lingerie is incredibly easy to make yourself, and whilst some of us might need more support, this doesn't have to mean that you can't at least trim those garments with something that makes them pleasurable to wear.

 

Here's my much viewed post on making lingerie from recycled sheets.

 

Lingerie from sheets.

 

 

3. Support the Arts. Now you may not be into Ballet. We are, as The Diva has danced since the age of two. She also sings and acts, and is heavily involved in Community Theatre. So we actually have several opportunities to support the Arts in our city, without paying a fortune. But even if you're not arty, try local dance studio recitals, University, School and College showcases, and community theatre. These are a fabulous way to support up and coming talent, and pay far less than you would to see 'the big shows'. We're often pleasantly surprised at the standard too. Some have been better than 'the big shows'. True.

 

4. Eat lots of fresh, unprocessed food. Grow some if you can. Even a simple thing like mint and chives in a salad, adds something special to a meal. The rich and famous don't fill up on stodge. They are choosy, and will only eat the best.

 

 

My Quinoa Salad is a perfect example. Quinoa steamed with vegetable stock, and tossed with chilli, coconut flakes, coriander (cilantro) and mint. Utterly delicious, and so fresh and light.

 

5. Make every meal beautiful. A simple thing like setting the table, and laying out utensils tied with slips of organza or satin ribbon, add an air of celebration to a meal. Remember when Sunday was always Roast Night? Why not reinstate a special weekly meal, be it lunch or dinner, and set the table with a theme. Tie the cutlery and serviettes together with twine and set it with rustic ironstone or mix and match cutlery, or drag out the heirloom china and beribbon your utensils.

 

A checkered cloth and red glassware, a black and tan stripe with sunny yellow candlesticks, or fine linen and thrifted silver. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you make an effort.

 

6. Add a tassel here and there. I adore tassels and have started making my own. Little tassels on the doorknobs of the house, and the smaller knobs of furniture just make things look more lush. They can be silk floss, beaded, rustic calico and offcuts, or sequinned and embroidered. It's just such a lovely touch to reach to open a door, and brush your hand against something so gorgeous. A seemingly insignificant action, becomes luxurious in itself.

 

7. Always have a few special ingredients on hand to liven up a simple meal. Having mentioned herbs, let's not forget things like a gorgeous relish or confit to add to a plain old burger or cheese sandwich, for a touch of five star.

 

8. Become a collector or a connoisseur. I collect cobalt blue glass. I have a few pretty pieces, collected over several years. I'm not obsessive about it, and in fact, I'm particularly choosy about what I buy. These pieces have been collected one by one over a period of time. The thrill of finding a match to a thrifted Kosta Boda bowl like the one top right, in a completely different location, 5 years apart, can't be beaten.

 

 

My daughter collects cameos. She has one or two special inherited ones, and some that have been gifted to her. A few of those go back as far as when she chose them as treats over an outing when she was really little. Funny little thing she was. But who can complain about a child that wants a cameo over a trip to a theme park! The great thing about that too, is that when we were on our Meditteranean cruise, she did not waste money on insignificant touristy purchases. At the tender age of 15, she saved her hard earned money to buy a special cameo in Naples. I was really proud of her.

 

The one below was a gift....

 

9. Commission a self portrait. Yes really! I don't mean asking the local noteworthy artist to paint your likeness. Ask your children (child or adult!) to do it. Or do it yourself. Photos are nice, but a painting is very special! 

 

A great way of doing this is to stand in front of a mirror, and trace the outline of some of your features with a dark creamy lipstick. Grab some blank paper, and press it onto the lipstick outline, rubbing firmly to transfer the image, then use that as your template for your portrait.

 

Sometimes it's the things you leave out of your outline that make your portrait artworthy, so be restrained. The shape of your face, your eyebrows and one side of your nose, the upper lip, but just the middle of the lower lip, eyes and lids but not lashes, a few strands of hair. Frame it as is, or go wild with paint, pastels, or collage to turn your portrait into a work of art.

 

Of course, children are a great source of artistic talent, and I have several portraits done by my children that are frame worthy. You probably do too.

 

10. Use the power of fragrance to make an impact. A simple thing like a signature hand wash or hand lotion can make a huge impression on people. We use a gorgeous Molton & Brown Naran Ji handwash here, and everyone, down to The Divas school friends, comments on it, and how lovely your hands smell after using it. I dilute it 1:5 in a foaming bottle, and each Molton Brown bottle lasts a whole year. Just as well at nearly $50! But we love it so much, and The Diva gets lovely comments all the time about how our home smells all Frenchy and yummy.

 

I also use an Avon Vanilla Soy hand cream that The Diva and The Musician Husband both love to snuggle up to. You'll love the way your family and friends react, and even better how you'll feel, when you surround yourself with beautiful scents.

 

 

 

What's your favourite way to live luxuriously for less?

 

...Mimi...