Random Acts of Romance

While embracing technology may not seem like that big a deal – we live in the 21st century after all – it kind of is for me. Remember, I write every book long-hand and then transcribe it into my computer.  For the record, I prefer the term “old school” to “outdated.” Anyway, in spite of this quirk, I do recognize how important technology can be to a champagne life on a beer budget.

If you’ve been over to my news site at all in the last month, you’re aware of the fact that I love music. Music is a must in my champagne life. Downloads, youtube, pandora and rhapsody all make music possible for pennies. My cable package on the television even offers music channels. Whatever you want from classical to current, you can find somewhere for cheap if not for free. And we like free!

E-readers, MP3 players, even our cell phones give us the means to have whatever our pleasure is right in the palm of our hands. An entire library for the cost of a dozen books – and all tucked into a purse. All our favorite songs without any from the B-side wherever we have our computer or touchpad. Old movies and last week’s episode of the show we missed as close as our pockets and viewed on our schedule.

Now, because this blog is about making the moments special, not just mass consumption, I will also remind you that just because we can experience all this and more at a moment’s notice, doesn’t mean you can’t make it special. A few days ago, DH and I wanted to catch a miniseries that we’d missed. Instead of just flopping down on the couch at the end of a day, we made popcorn and lit candles. I changed into my favorite lounging pajamas (because surely by now you have favorite lounging pajamas, don’t you?). He poured himself a glass of brandy. We turned off our phones, snuggled up, and made an event of … watching a miniseries on Netflix. It was a delightful experience, as well as a pretty good miniseries. And it’s as easy as that to find champagne moments.

Enjoy ~

Pauline

Back when I first laid out the schedule for the end of the year, today’s post ended up being “technology, movies and music.” Who would’ve guessed that I would also end up posting music over at my news page. Trust me; this was completely unplanned and unforeseen.

So, I’m going to direct you to the news page. Suggest you listen and enjoy.

There will be more on technology, movies and music after Christmas. For now…make merry. That’s the epitome of a champagne life, afterall.

Happy Holidays!

Pauline

Since I had a late post due to IT issues, I want to give you this as well. We’ve been talking a lot about decorating and about finding your own sense of style, of happy, of Champagne Life. Here’s a little bit of mine…

I love this corner. It’s my Champagne Life, right here. And what’s better than that?

Enjoy ~

Pauline

As I write this, I am snuggled down in my oversized chair, deep purple accent pillow at my back and soft, warm throw over my toes. And I’m working. Because I would rather be here, in my living room, than at a desk in an office. That’s how much I love my living room. In part because of aforementioned accent pillow and throw.

That’s the joy of the little touches: they can make ordinary, extraordinary. Hopefully, you have furniture you love and enjoy seeing, sitting on, being surrounded by. That’s the goal. But if you don’t (and even if you do), a pillow or throw can be your best friend. Not many of us can afford new furniture. Accent pieces, though, that’s a different thing. I have seen a scattering of pillows and a wonderful blanket transform a room from sterile and unwelcoming to lush and inviting.

And while “there’s always a sale” seems to be the unofficial motto of Champagne Life on a Beer Budget, it’s even more true this time of year. Over the next month or two, you are going to be bombarded with stores offering great deals on home decor for you and for gift giving. Take advantage of it! Or better yet, wait until after Christmas and shop then.

Have a plan. Regardless of what your furniture looks like, make your statement with your accents. Satin, cotton, velvet, denim ~ it’s all available and it’s all fair game, so long as it makes you happy. Know where you want to add a splash of color or flair and look for the piece that works there. As with clothing, just because it’s available, doesn’t mean you have to buy it. You might make a very different purchase for your bedroom than you would for your living room. Look for out of season styles, as well, for even better sales.

The other great thing is you can change accent pieces out seasonally. Maybe your pillows will be floral cotton in summer and burgandy velvet in winter. Okay. Whatever works for you and your Champagne Life. Because changing out your throws and pillows is a lot less expensive than changing out your furniture!

Enjoy ~

Pauline

CANDLES! Can I be honest? I’ve been excited about writing this one since I first wrote out the Deal with the Details schedule. (Which, yes, makes it odd that I miscalculated and skipped last week. My apologies…) Because candles are probably my most favorite way to decorate. However, before we get started, please, be smart with candles. We’re talking about live flame here. Don’t put your candles near anything flammable; don’t leave them unattended; watch children and pets around them. Be smart.

Now…the fun stuff. I could write on this for weeks and weeks on end. We could have so many posts that the blog could be The Candle Blog. Instead, I’ll hold it to the following. But if you want more ideas, feel free to email me!

Candles are an easy, inexpensive way to add a bit of yourself to any setting. And the real joy of them is they can add elegance or sophistication or whimsy or sensuality or – just about whatever atmosphere you want to create. Mind you, they can also be incredibly expensive. I know this. But don’t let that intimidate you or get you down. It can be but it doesn’t have to be.

Perhaps the easiest way to use candles is to pick up one of the fresheners that are sold at the grocery store these days. Put it in a window or your dining table, remember to light it, and you’re done. Or…you can do a little more.

One of my favorite ideas is the candle cluster. Find 2 pillar candles, of different heights. Pick up 3 candle holders – also different heights if you can find them – at a thrift store or a discount store or a sale (remember the  rule: There’s Always  A Sale). Last weekend, I found taper candles for .59 each. That’s fifty-nine cents. Each. Gotta love it. Finish off with a bag of tealights. Find a shelf, or a window sill, or a table, or whatever flat surface you want to set up on.  Scatter your candles in a cluster, light them, and enjoy. The look is lovely.

Another option is the candle strip. For this, I prefer to use tealights ~ and since we’ve just bought a bag of them for the cluster, we might as well use them! Grab the aluminum foil. Seriously. Pull out a long, thin strip and fold the sides, so that you have a cleaner, more appealing edge. Line the tealights down the center (or scatter them or zigzag them or whatever your preference). This is particularly pretty along the back of a buffet or down the center of a rectangular dinner table. The foil both protects your surface and, if you put the shiny side up, gives you a flickery reflection and some depth.

Finally, remember your scents. If you are sensitive to smells or just don’t like aromatic candles, ignore this paragraph. Otherwise, remember your scents. Do remember that you want the scents to enhance, not overwhelm. It’s about the balance and the combinations that work for you. My friends and family know when I’ve decided the seasons have changed because my candles get changed out. I keep 3 or 4 jar candles for each season. Winter is pine, red cinnamon, wood smoke, and musks. Spring brings lilac, lavender, gardenia. Summer is linen and ocean/water and cotton scents. Autumn is about spices and pumpkins and chocolate and harvest. And the best part? At the end of each season, I cap the candles and put them away for next year.

Craft stores such as Michael’s and JoAnne’s are going to be your friends here. Great selections, great prices, good quantities. Mix up your colors for a playful look or stay monochromatic for a more classic look. Pick your colors based on room decor or season or event. Let your imagination rule here. Float them. Hang them. Put them on levels. Keep them all flat. Just light them. Light them for dinner. Light them when you sit and watch television. Watch them during your time. Have them burning during your morning coffee or tea. Remember, every day is special. That’s what makes it a Champagne Life, on a Beer Budget.

Enjoy!

Pauline

Remember back when we set up the schedule for the next several posts? I said then that we might mix things up a little bit. Now is one of those times.  I’ve received some emails asking if I really do live all this, or if I just write about it. The whole those who can’t do, teach thing. This is a totally fair question.

The answer is easy: Yes, I actually live this way.

But perhaps more details are appropriate.

Friday was my deadline for submitting my current novel (YAY! And fingers crossed). In the past, I have celebrated finishing novels with trips to the spa, tea at the Ritz, even dancing and dining with friends. But currently, DH and I are saving up for something else, so I wanted to watch how much we spent celebrating. At the same time, my Champagne Life absolutely requires a celebration when I finish a novel.

Enter champagne and doughnuts. Yep. Two things I adore and don’t treat myself to very often. Anchorage has a great doughnut shop, that’s even open 24-hours. Finding tasty yet inexpensive champagne is easy these days. Add to it the fact that both are indeed a real splurge…Sitting in my living room, candles lit, drinking champagne and nibbling on doughnuts with DH absolutely counted as a celebration. And completely my Champagne Life…on a Beer Budget.

So never doubt, I actually live this. I know the difference in attitude these simple steps can make. Life is good. And isn’t that what it’s all really about?

Enjoy!

Pauline

So what do I mean by “functional art?” Oooo…so many definitions. Basically, anything that you can use for a practical purpose but is pretty, looks nice, makes you happy…whatever.

Two of my favorite examples of functional art are a dishwasher soap tin and spice jars. Seriously. One of my sisters has this great tin out of the 70s or 80s. It’s got Jane Jetson, the cartoon character, on it. It’s old enough that it’s just a little rusty, just a little faded and discolored. It is 100% fabulous. She keeps it on her window sill, directly above her dishwasher. When she buys new dishwasher soap squares, instead of tossing it under the sink in the ugly box they come in, she simply dumps the cakes into her Jane Jetson tin. Why? Because it makes her happy. Because it makes even loading the dishwasher a little more interesting.

My other favorite are the spice jars in my own kitchen. They are just glass jars with corks in them. But whenever I open the spice cabinet, it’s pretty. Yes, I admit it; I enjoy looking at my spices. Far more than I ever did when I left the spices in the ordinary, unattractive jars spices come in.

Glass bottles are another favorite. The kinds with the glass stoppers. You can find them at craft stores and dollar stores for a couple bucks or you can find them at specialty boutiques  for twenty bucks or more. Guess which ones I would recommend? Both my nail polish remover and my rubbing alcohol are in beautiful green bottles, again, just because they make me happy.

Antique tins make for beautiful kitchen canisters. Apothecary jars can hold coffee beans, tea bags, popcorn, even  beans…whatever you want to fill them with. They are such small touches, perhaps even pointless. But they aren’t. Not if they make you happy, make your home the haven you want it to be. Nowhere close to pointless if they are part of your Champagne Life.

Enjoy.

Pauline

Yep. Buy Windex. Or any other glass cleaner. The point isn’t the way you keep it clean; the point is having the glass. While I totally understand why we no longer keep glass bottles places like the bathtub and the shower, I am at a loss to explain why we have done away with it everywhere else. Is acrylic really all that interesting or necessary? Are there wandering bands of rogue throwers-of-things-that-look-breakable that we must gird ourselves against?

Swap out to glass. If you’re dealing with your drinkware or your candle holders or your flower vases, there’s really no reason to have acrylic anything around. There is a sexiness to glass, a sense of daring that says “I know I might break this and I don’t care.” Okay, maybe that’s stretching it a bit but it does catch the light and sparkle far better than anything artificial. Glass has a heft, a solidness that is missing from its alternatives. Anyway, which would you rather pass down to you nieces and granddaughters, your favorite cut glass vase or your favorite acrylic one? Exactly. If you shop wisely ~ because we know there’s always a sale, right? Right. ~ you won’t have to pay more for the glass than you will for the acrylic. Sometimes, it’s even less expensive (I assume because so few of us appreciate glass any longer, but I’m guessing here), which makes it infinitely affordable.

Plus, yeah, there’s something a little sexy and retro about using glass these days.

Sexy and retro? Sounds like a champagne life to me!

Enjoy ~

Pauline

While the general Love It, Love It, Love It, is nice, I’ve received a few requests for details. Specifics. As one email put it, I love your suggestions but could you please stop being so vague?!?

My answer? Absolutely!

So, that’s how we’re going to spend the next several posts: getting down to details. Now, part of the reason I have been vague up until now is that not everyone shares the same idea of a champagne life. Candles may be vital to one person, while another could really care less.

To address this, here’s a handy cheat sheet for upcoming topics. If something doesn’t interest you, skip it. Easy huh? I promise I won’t even be offended.

• glass v. plastic
• tins, jars, bottles
• candles
• pillows and throws
• technology, music, and movies
• wrap up: bedroom
• wrap up: bathroom
• wrap up: living space
• wrap up: kitchen

And that, my friends, as startling as it just was to realize, will get us through the year. Wow… I can’t think about that too hard so we’re going on now.

There may, of course, be some variation off of this. This is supposed to be fun and schedules are only so much fun for me. It is, however, a good guide. And while I said you could skip a post if you wanted, why not stop by for all of them? The schedule might change after all. Or, while a specific suggestion might not work for you, it might give you a brainstorm about something that does work for you and fits into your Champagne Life. Because that’s what it’s all about.

Enjoy (and have a happy Labor Day!) ~

~ Pauline

Are you ready to start small with your Champagne Life good stuff? Do you know where you’re going to focus first? Excellent. On to rule number two:

Love it.

I am assuming you have perfectly functional belongings. Your goal, however, isn’t only functional but also…more. What do you want your home to be? Peaceful? Sexy? Exciting? Colorful? Relaxing? A little of all of it? Uniquiely yours? Be honest with yourself; you know what you need to make it any and all of these. You need to love your surroundings, love being there, love living in it. This is much more than just functional.

We all have to have things. There is no way around it. However, simply collecting things for the sake of collecting things will not make us happy. That adage money can’t buy happiness is a truism. So don’t just collect things for the sake of having things. Since we have to have things, make sure you have things you love.

We’re lucky because we live in an age where your really can find just about anything. Online is a goldmine. Discount shops, membership clubs, thrift stores. Just because you’ve found something that suits your need – that is perfectly functional – doesn’t mean you should buy it. Wait. Keep what you’ve already got a little longer. After all, you have a functional one; now you’re looking for the wonderful one.Whatever it is, keep looking and find one you love. Because that’s a Champagne Life, even on a beer budget.

Enjoy ~

Pauline