Something New This Year

Photo: Lukas Patkan/stock.xchange

I’ve never been one for new year resolutions. I always think, “Why wait ‘til next year? Why not just do it now? Or as soon as possible?” So I’m not against resolutions, just the idea of starting new things only in the new year. There’s no need for that, just go ahead and do whatever you have to do as soon as the opportunity arises (and quit making excuses to not start, too! Hehe).

But this year, I will be starting something in the new year – I’ve decided to live a “French” way of life this 2010. I use the term “French” very loosely, though, as I don’t think it would be viable to be totally French in Malaysia, and I don’t like to restrict myself on purpose.

This idea came about a couple of weeks before the new year, on my birthday actually, in December. My husband was asking what I wanted for my birthday, and I asked if I could get a jewellery-designing book (very low-maintenance of me, no? Well, actually, I hadn’t gotten anything for him for his birthday back in August yet. So didn’t want to demand too much hehe). So I was browsing for books, but I wasn’t completely sure of most of the books I saw, until I found one on the last Jewellery/Beading shelf (it's always the last one, isn't it?). And I absolutely fell in love with it! It was quite well-thumbed, though, and the book jacket was a bit torn in the back, but it was the last copy and I absolutely had to have it! It's called French-Inspired Jewelry: Creating With Vintage Beads, Buttons and Baubles by Kaari Meng and it is gorgeous! And we got a 20 percent discount for it.

The beautiful jewellery inside inspired me, for sure, but it also inspired something else. From the book, I found out that the author runs a store that sells French décor and notions called French General in California, and that she also has another book called The French-Inspired Home. And that inspired me to decorate my house in the French style. Along with my husband and darling 3-year-old daughter, we’ve been living in our house for almost a year now, and have yet to properly decorate it despite all the ideas I had for it. Maybe it’s because I had too many ideas (blame apartmenttherapy.com) that I found it hard to figure out exactly what needs to be done. Now, I'm very happy with this idea as this cuts down on a LOT of choices to choose from when embarking on such a project. This will also leave me with more time to work on my career at my day job, make more jewellery at home and strategise my side-business, potty train my daughter, oh, and also plan the lifestyle 'zine I've been planning with one of my best friends. See why I'm so happy to find focus on at least one aspect in life?

Of course, I didn't just decide to do this French thing just because I love the book. I've always been sort of a Francophile (that’s why I was so drawn to Kaari’s jewellery book in the first place). I took French language classes in university, and enrolled for a refresher class after. And, of course, I’ve always wanted to go to Paris (who doesn’t?), and New Orleans. I also prefer Carrefour over Tesco!

So this year (and maybe beyond), the home will slowly take on a French personality (because personality is so important for a home’s ambience, and faux-French is so me!), my jewellery designs may be more vintage-French-inspired, I will be setting aside money every month to take a trip to France at the end of the year (hope Air Asia X will be offering those flights to Orly soon), and I will learn one French word or expression every day until I can read Biba magazine without having to refer to the dictionary at every other word (uhmm.. yeah, my French has gone verrry rusty from lack of use).

So French phrase of the day is: Résolution de nouvelle année = New Year resolution ;)