carrie macpherson
journalist / BLOGGER / CONTENT CREATOR
Raised in rural Saskatchewan, polished in Switzerland and matured in Montreal, I like to think of myself as a cosmopolitan woman with a country girl heart. I have been called an aesthete; I delight in collecting and arranging attractive furniture and objects. I love home decor, baking and setting a fancy table. I especially love my most faithful companion, Dapper.
How do you define joy?
Joy to me is seeing someone I love happy.
What’s your happiness secret for creating a joyful life?
Creating something beautiful makes me joyful. It can be as simple as making my bed in the morning.
Share a joyful memory
Once I surprised my parents by coming home from Switzerland without telling them I was coming. The look on their faces and their reactions were so worth it.
Who’s your happiness role model?
My friend Bernard. He’s 72 and I call him my Bon Vivant or my Fairy Godfather. He’s definitely the happiest person I know and he always makes me laugh.
Where is your happy place?
In nature (preferably, in a forest or high up on a hill or mountain).
What inspires you most?
Authentic (and often eccentric) people.
What are you most thankful for?
My family.
What would you do in life if money was no object?
Adopt 14 children.
If you had an extra hour in the day, what would you do in that time?
Draw and paint.
What always makes you smile?
My dog when he’s happy, my niece, my best friend’s kids.
What made you happy when you were a child?
Playing make believe, playing outside, climbing on everything.
If you could travel to the happiest place in the world right now, where would you go?
A little village in the mountains overlooking a valley.
JOY & JOIE MUST-HAVES
1. Recently, someone gave me a cuckoo clock and when it went off for the first time, I giggled out loud. Every time the cuckoo sings – I smile.
2. A pretty cup or mug from which to drink my coffee or tea. I drink with my eyes too.
3.Spending time with children because it’s so much fun to see life through their eyes.
4.Finding a vintage designer item of clothing for a song because it’s the joy of the hunt and the thrill of the find.
5. A homemade meal prepared by and enjoyed with a friend or family member – tastes better than any meal in a restaurant.
6.Something that was made by hand, with love by someone dear. Even if it’s just a card.
7.The Sound of Music – because it always came on at Christmas when I was young and I like the story of how a rebellious nun falls in love with an entire family and she marries their father. And all the songs in it still bring me joy.
8. A hand-written letter that I wasn’t expecting. It means that the person who wrote it took the time to do so and was thinking of me enough to make the effort to go to the post office.
Follow Carrie, Dapper and their joyful life:
Website: EatDrinkBeCarrie.com
Instagram: @eatdrinkbcarrie
Facebook: @eatdrinkbcarrie
