Do I Get Bored with my Capsule Wardrobe?

In this installment of reader questions answered, I'm addressing a question that I get all the time: Jennifer, don't you get bored with your capsule wardrobe?

The short answer is no.

And the long answer... well it has a lot to do with our constant need for variety in our modern society. If you find yourself constantly feeling 'bored' with your clothes, it might be time to question your thought process and revive appreciation for what you already have.

Curious to hear more? Check out this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

What are your thoughts on this subject? I would love to know...

Testimonials

I love getting messages from readers who tell me how Lessons from Madame Chic has helped them. I think you'll get a kick out of this one from Emily M. who wrote to me on Facebook:

Good Morning! I have a story for you that shows how your book is influencing complete strangers' lives...My aunt gave me your book for Christmas, because she knows how I love the French and their way of life and thought this would be a fun read. I took a lot from it, reminisced about my own time in Paris, but the one that hit me the hardest was the china! The more I thought about it, the sillier I felt...only using it on special occasions and for company, but not my own children/husband who are the most important people to me in the world! Anyway, I started Sunday night dinners for us (my kids are ages 8, 7,4, 10 months) in the dining room, (French food of course) china and all. We are having so much fun and the kids really look forward to their fancy Sunday dinner with French BREAD (a must). If that weren't enough, I saw a contest for "The Family that Breaks Bread Together, Stays Together...Tell us your Story" sponsored by a regional bakery here on the East Coast. So, I entered our Sunday night story which we have done consistently for six months and we won! I now get free weekly bread deliveries and they are filming us for a commercial! I'll send it to you after they film it in July. I thought you should know how you have inspired my family and to say quite simply, thank you!

Congratulations Emily! We are so happy for you and your family!

If you would like to share how Lessons from Madame Chic has inspired you, please send me your testimonial. I'd love to share your story on the Daily Connoisseur...

Next week Reader Questions Answered continues as I discuss 'feeling overdressed' and more. See you then! x

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My Patio Garden

Thank you for your great response to last week's video, What's in my Fridge? I really enjoyed reading what food you keep in your home. I'm going through a whole reinvention process with how I cook, feed my family and organize the kitchen (which, of course, I'll share with you in the future) and it was fun for me to do the video.

To continue the theme of home tours, today's video shows you my patio garden. I keep container plants: roses (Mr. Lincoln and Double Delight— my two favorite!), camelia, jasmine, geranium and vines. I find with container plants that frequent fertilizer is necessary for them to thrive. I use an organic plant food from my local garden center.

Our patio space is compact but we get a lot of enjoyment from it. The scent from the jasmine and roses is quite strong this time of year and wafts into our bedroom like perfume— it's really lovely.

If you are unable to see the above video, which includes an appearance from Gatsby, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Have a wonderful week x


♥ Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families affected by the shootings in Santa Monica last week. Santa Monica is a beautiful place to live and we feel devastated that these horrible acts of violence have touched us here. We won't let it get us down, however. We will rise above it and continue to thrive in our beloved little seaside town ♥

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Madame Chic in Italy, Anthropologie & Vanity Fair

Going into the weekend, I wanted to share some exciting book news with you...

Ciao Italia



Le Lezioni di Madame Chic was published in Italy last week by Piemme. Ciao Italia! I'm enjoying hearing from my chic Italian readers and look forward to connecting with you more in the future!

Anthropologie


Walking into my local Anthropologie yesterday, I was so proud to see Lessons from Madame Chic displayed on their front table alongside Ines de la Fressange's Parisian Chic. Back in the beginning when I was trying to get my book published, a literary agent told me it would never happen because Ines' book had just been published. So glad I didn't listen to that advice... there is clearly room for both. Please let this be a reminder to all of us to follow our dreams— no matter how many people try to dissuade you. Thanks to my facebook friends for all of your encouraging feedback and support!

Vanity Fair

Lessons from Madame Chic is described as teaching 'subtle panache' in July's issue of Vanity Fair in an article that discusses the French woman genre phenomenon. It's an interesting article and a great mention. On newsstands now!

Have a wonderful weekend... See you next week! x

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What's in my Fridge?

In this week's video I show you the contents of our refrigerator on a typical weeknight. We are a family of four with my husband, my toddler, my baby and me (oh yes, and Gatsby!), so the contents of the fridge reflect all of our likes. For example, my husband loves the Skippy smooth peanut butter and won't have anything else. Same with the Yoplait yogurt... I have a few musts as well.

You'll also notice the Bio-K probiotics I have. I find that since I started drinking this friendly bacteria my digestive health has seriously improved. Also worth noting are our two drawers of vegetables. We receive a vegetable box once a week delivered fresh from our local farm (Farm Fresh To You for those of you in Los Angeles). I love getting creative with ways to cook the seasonal veggies.

At the time of shooting this video there is no meat in the fridge. We usually eat meat (fish, chicken or a roast- a must for my husband!) around three times a week and I try to buy it as fresh as possible.

Another thing to note is I usually prefer to make my own pie crusts but on busy weeknights it is nice to have a pre-prepared one handy for making savory tarts or that strawberry pie...

If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

This week I would love to know... What's in your fridge?

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15-Minute Tidy

You know how it is at the end of a very long day when you feel like you just can't go on. You just want to watch your favorite show or read a book or just go to sleep. But the problem is that the mess from dinner hasn't quite been cleared up yet... and the living room could probably do with a once-over...

Usually at the end of even a very long day I can commit to 15 minutes of tidying up. I know that if I clear away everything tonight that tomorrow I'll wake up to a tidy house, which will then, in turn, set me on the right foot for the day. If I leave the mess, I know I'll have to wake up to last night's dishes and a disheveled living room. And if I'm having to deal with yesterday's mess, I just feel like I'm playing catch-up the whole day. I reason with myself that 15 minutes isn't too long and sooner than I know it I'll be on my way to doing something I really want to do that evening.

The marvelous thing is, you will surprise yourself with how much you can actually accomplish in 15 minutes! Many times I'll feel like I've been cleaning for ages and I'll look at the timer to find I have 8 minutes left. Try it... the next time you unload the dishwasher you'll see it actually takes only 3 minutes (instead of the hour it feels like).

I learned this technique from Anthea Turner's Perfect Housewife series and the FlyLady blog. You must try it the next time you are feeling overwhelmed with tidying your home.

For more on this topic, check out this week's video, 15-Minute Tidy. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

♥ Wishing you a happy Memorial Day and giving thanks to all of our military men and women who serve our country, both past and present. We appreciate you ♥

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Beauty Updates

I hope you had a great weekend! This week's video discusses three different beauty topics that are on my mind:

Pür Minerals
Pür Minerals sent me their 4n1 Pressed Mineral Powder to review. It's great! It provides full coverage and is packaged in a pretty little compact made of recycled materials— perfect for when you are on the go.

Hair after baby
I've experienced hair loss after having both of my children. The fine baby hairs around the crown of my head are particularly hard to style. (*Update* Thanks to all of my YouTube viewers who have already provided helpful suggestions such as putting a small amount of hairspray on a boar bristle brush to smooth the flyaways and using clear mascara. I will try both techniques... thank you!)

Glowing Green Smoothie
For breakfast lately I've been drinking Kimberly Snyder's glowing green smoothie. Kimberly is the author of The Beauty Detox Solution and Beauty Detox Foods. Even though I am not a vegan I really enjoy her books because I appreciate her healthy recipes. And I tell you, this smoothie makes me feel fantastic throughout the day. I can't recommend it enough!

To hear more about these beauty topics, check out this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Book News

♥ The Independent Florida Alligator writes about Lessons from Madame Chic in an article called, Eating well: The Chic way.

♥ Lessons from Madame Chic is now available at Anthropologie (so happy about this... I love their selection of books!)

See you soon! x

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British Interior Design with Rebecca Leigh

My lovely sister-in-law, Rebecca Leigh, works as an interior stylist in the United Kingdom and is just now branching out her services to New York. Her style is glamorous, traditional and eclectic and her clients have ranged from conservative bankers to flamboyant rock stars. Rebecca believes that interior styling is a luxury that everyone should have. She is also an art buyer and works with some of the most prominent collectors of Warhol and Picassos in the world. Rebecca was kind enough to answer a few questions on interior styling for the Daily Connoisseur.

Pictured below are a three style boards of her work:







How do you describe modern British Interior Design?

There are many styles to British Interior Design however, the two that come to my mind are Cool Britannia and Shabby Chic.
Cool Britannia is a British Interior Design, styled around patriotism and in the 1990s, the phrase ‘shabby chic’ was coined to describe the modern laid back style. ‘Shabby’ refers to older— lived in or second-hand objects that have a distressed look about them, but not overly damaged. ‘Chic’ applies to objects which are old but definitely worth keeping.

Can you give us a few inexpensive decorating updates anyone can do to their homes?

Bargain Hunting – Try charity shops, flea markets, auctions and eBay. You can find furniture cheaply, sand it and repaint it.

Kitchens – take dingy kitchen cabinets and repaint them in fresh colours or buy white flat pack cabinets and make them look expensive by laying granite/marble worktops over them. Many companies offer ‘kitchen makeovers’ where you keep the basic shell but have the doors, worktops and tiling replaced, which can save you thousands.

Recycle - Re-use/ Up-cycling- the art of turning the tired objects you might usually throw away into beautiful, useful pieces, like an old cart into a drinks trolley !

Instant impact – Instead of wallpapering an entire room, try it on one wall only as it will immediately transform the space. Resanding and resealing woodern flooring also makes a dramatic difference. Dress up doors with elegant knobs and handles.

Paint effects – Tester pots can go a long way, especially if you want to update one piece of furniture or change a new colour. If you change one thing for me it would be paint!

Where should we splurge and where should we save?

Splurge – Sofas, mattresses, flooring and window dressing

Save – Furniture, lighting, rugs, artwork and decorative accents

You work as an Interior stylist. How is this different from a traditional interior designer?

Interior design is the crux of any living area. Spatial planning and material specification decide how the interior shell of a space will sit. With Interior Styling you add personality and charm. It focuses on items that aren’t fixed, such as furniture and accessories. Ultimately if a space is designed well, it rarely needs as much styling as one that isn’t. That can involve putting back original architecture when restoring ones' period home such as period cornices, ceiling roses, and fireplaces to look as though they have been with the house forever. Putting the soul back into the home! I never work towards a ‘themed look’ I help create a unique and eclectic look for my clients and to give them the home of their dreams.



Rebecca Leigh Interior Stylst
www.rebeccaleighstylist.com (website currently under construction)

For any inquiries, you can contact Rebecca at: loftten (at) btinternet (dot) com

Thank you Rebecca! x


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