Curl Up With A Good Book…

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

Last time, we touched on the two most important rules of acquiring the good stuff. The first one is Start Small. As much as we’d all love to, it isn’t realistic to throw out all the kitchen stuff, the decorations, the linens and buy all new. These changes will have to be smaller than that in order to give your budget a chance to absorb them. But starting small can lead to big changes.

So how do we start small? For me, it was my everyday glasses with stems. I love stemmed glasses. If they’re called  ice tea glasses or tulip glasses or water goblets, I don’t care. They are my favorite drinkware. I kept my other glasses, shopped around, and found tulip glasses on sale, 4 for $5.00. I bought two sets. When I went home, I boxed up my old, non-stemmed glasses, donated them, and have never looked back. They are a vital part of my Champagne Life. Yes, it can be that little, that “insignificant.” All these years later, I still smile when I pull down a glass to pour myself a glass of water or load my dishwasher.

A while back, I asked you to pay attention to your surroundings. Now you know why. This is where you start. With whatever your equivilent of stemmed glasses happens to be.

Maybe it’s your bedroom. Perhaps the corner where you love to curl up with a good book. Or your dining table. Can’t afford the entire new linen collection for your bed? Buy pillows or pillow cases. A new blanket in a sexy red or a peaceful blue. Even just changing your lampshade can make a difference. A throw pillow and blanket or a piece of art that makes you smile can make your book nook cozier, too. For dining, a special mug or two new place settings for you and your sweetie. Or yes, four new glasses for five dollars. You’re getting the idea.

Look for sales. There is always a sale somewhere. And remember not to try to do it all at once. Take each new piece and love it for its own sake. That’s a Champagne Life.

Enjoy ~

Pauline

Good stuff. We’ve talked about what the good stuff is. We’ve talked about using the good stuff. We’ve established that the good stuff is whatever we want it to be, whatever makes us feel good. We’ve agreed that using the good stuff is important, fun, is…good.

But there is one, pretty major issue we haven’t addressed. What happens if we don’t have good stuff? And lots of people don’t, not by our definition. For whatever reason, they are surrounded by things about which they are indifferent. And indifferent has no place in a Champagne Life.

There are two basic, yet vital, rules to accumulating good stuff. First, start small. We can’t forget that whole beer budget part of our Champagne Life. Second, don’t bring anything into your home that you don’t love. While you may not be able to afford the 1000 count sheets or the Waterford crystal, that’s okay. Remember, this isn’t about impressing anyone or keeping up with anybody, including the Joneses. So you don’t have to settle for anything you don’t absolutely love, at any price. Ever. If it doesn’t make you happy, it’s not your Champagne Life.

Because happy is what it really boils down to, isn’t it? A happy life is a Champagne Life.

Enjoy ~

Pauline

If you have a style, or like me, have several styles, the title of this post may not make sense to you. But if you don’t have one yet, you understand it completely. Don’t worry, though; you’re not alone. It’s more common than you realize. Think about it – the entire makeover industry, from fashion to home design, is based on people not having their own sense of style. You rarely see people with stylish homes, gardens, or wardrobes being made over.

So, find your style. Or styles. Forget about what’s trendy. Don’t worry about what’s currently “in.” Focus on what makes you happy, peaceful, or confident. We talked about this in terms of clothing. Now, we’re talking about it in terms of our surroundings. In terms of what makes up your good stuff.

Pay attention to where you’re most comfortable in your house. Be aware of which mug you reach for most often in the mornings. When you walk through Target or Fred Meyers or your favorite thrift store or wherever, what catches your eye? Throw pillows? Glassware? Picture frames? Pay attention to what makes you smile. All of this is part of what can be ~ what will be ~ your style.

Finally, don’t listen to the professionals who tell you that you have to have only one look, one style, one decor. That’s just silly. So what if your sexy peacock feathers and art deco art work don’t match the calico print you love on your curtains. Or if you dream of one room being painted black and red, while another is all pastels. As always, it’s about you and your champagne life, even on a beer budget!

Enjoy ~

~ Pauline

Have you had a chance to have a hotel night in your own home yet? Was it wonderful? Did you slip into your favorite lingerie? Did you pull out your best stemware and finest china? Did you use the good stuff?

Wait. What? The good stuff? Just for some cheese and crackers by yourself? Well… yes. After all, it’s a champagne life you’re going for, not a plastic, childproof, and rushed life. Plastic, childproof, and rushed I think we’ve got handled.

Now, before you start, I’ve heard the argument but what if it gets broken? Then I won’t have it to use! You’re right. Not even the search for a champagne life can guarantee you that china and crystal won’t get broken. However, if it’s not being used, or only barely being used, and is instead sitting, stored away in a cabinet somewhere out of fear of it being broken…does it really matter? Either way, you’re not enjoying it. Personally, I think it’s better to enjoy something, even if that means it might break, than to not use it or enjoy it out of fear.

So, instead of hiding the good stuff away, bring it out. You know the pieces, the ones you only use for special occasions. Because your life is allowed to be a special occasion. Pampering yourself counts, starting now. For me, depending on my mood, I either pull out my crystal goblet, my china plate, and my silver platter or my hand-thrown pottery and painted glassware. Yes, I have served myself cheddar cheese with saltines and seltzer water off of crystal, china and silver. Sounds decadent, doesn’t it? It really is, too. And that’s the point.

Because yes, it was just cheddar, saltines and club soda. But on the good stuff, it becomes so much more. It becomes decadent. It becomes elegant. It becomes a champagne life…on a beer budget.

Enjoy ~

~ Pauline

My best friend, Mitchell, loves the rare nights she gets to spend in hotels by herself. She adores her husband and daughter but every now and then, a night away is a gift.  She buys cheese and special crackers, wine and fruit and settles in for a night to take care of herself and only herself. Unfortunately, not many of us, including Mitchell, can afford a night at a hotel very often. So, we need to find a way to have a night out while staying in.

Last time, we talked about changing into our pretties for no one but ourselves. This time, we’re going to take it one step further. It takes some planning but it’s worth it. You’re worth it. Your champagne life is worth it.

Pick up a favorite snack. Depending on your budget, it can be a small wedge of good cheese, a few special chocolates, or even just cheddar and Hershey’s kisses. Then, once you’ve changed into your nightclothes, fed the dog, made the kids’ lunches, whatever, take your drink and your snack to your favorite place in the house. Dim the lights or light a candle or two and…relax.

Really go the extra step and turn off the television. Instead, put on some music, do a crossword, write a letter, or read a book. Take thirty minutes and wind down. Savor every bite. Engage all your senses. Don’t just sit mindlessly in front of the computer or with the remote. That can wait for other nights. Tonight is about this moment, your night away in your own home – and your Champagne Life on a Beer Budget.

Enjoy,

Pauline