I recently uncovered a treasure trove: a box of "vintage" Victoria Magazines from the mid-90s. Those of you who subscribe to Victoria will know what I'm talking about. Those issues were just pure gold for people with our Connoisseur sensibilities.



I loved flipping through Victoria Magazine as a teenager and looking at the stunning images, reading the poetry, and learning about new people and places that have all since become dear to my heart.

Uncovering these old issues brought back so many memories! I thought it would be fun to flip through an August issue from 1994, which was 25 years ago (can you believe that?). Join me for today's relaxing video as I flip through a vintage issue of Victoria. I'm seeing this one with you for the first time in 25 years.

I apologize because at some points in the video there is a glare on the page. I have learned a few things about filming the pages of a glossy magazine at night! Despite the filming issues, I thank you for joining me today and hope you enjoy the video.

Mentioned in the video: Victorian nightgowns. I love to wear these long, white Victorian nightgowns. They are my favorite gowns to wear at night.

If you are interested in subscribing to Victoria Magazine, click here.

My earrings are by Ana Luisa Jewelry Use code Jennifer10 for $10 off your order and here is a link to my velvet hair tie.

On my nails: Londontown Illuminating Nail Concealer Use code JenniferS for 25% off your first order.


News
📍Take part in the Chic Assignment for August and join our Daily Connoisseur community.

📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

Comment of the Week
Unknown writes, "This blog, especially your videos on homemakers biggest enemies, have revolutionized my life. Literally I have found myself a completely different person as I go about my housework each day. I no longer look for “the end result”, but I enjoy the process. I no longer dread the work and this has helped me not to procrastinate. As a result, my house is cleaner, but I am less tired. Seems strange but it’s true. Amazing! I just started reading your book, at home with madame chic. So so great. I am recommending it to everyone I know! A big thanks to you. Please keep the videos coming."

Dear Unknown,
I was thrilled to read your comment and am so glad that my books and videos have impacted you in such a positive way. Wonderful!

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed this flip-through and I would love to hear your thoughts on this vintage Victoria Magazine.



Visit my newly designed Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

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Twitter @JL_Scott

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FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links are affiliate.

I do realize we are nearing the end of the summer season and many of us are already thinking about fall... but it is so hot here (can you relate??) that my summer ten-item capsule wardrobe is still going strong. In fact, it has been so hot here that many of my core items that have long sleeves are unwearable.



My cousin recently visited me and she was wearing the best-looking jumpsuits. I fell in love because they not only look presentable, but seemed so comfortable too.

In today's video I'm sharing style tips on how you can style a summertime jumpsuit or romper, particularly one with spaghetti straps as many of them have.

My jumpsuit is from Morning Lavender. Please note the jumpsuit I have is currently sold out. I am linking some other great options here:

I love this jumpsuit in black or taupe. It is gorgeous.

To check out all of the jumpsuits on Morning Lavender, click here.

Here is a link to all of the jumpsuits at Lulu's.

Here is a lovely jumpsuit on Amazon that has more coverage on top and comes in different colors. These would be good for fall!


Here I'm wearing the jumpsuit with a floppy sunhat (linking similar) and Kork Ease sandal. If you plan to show your shoulders, it is advisable to wear a strapless bra or you could use breast petals.


Here I'm styling it with a cropped twist tee. This twist collar crop top would also be a great option. I'm wearing my Sam Edelman Gigi sandals here too.


Pairing the jumpsuit with a cropped sweater is a good option as you move into colder weather. I am linking a similar one here.


Paired with my button-down denim tie top (linking similar here and here), this has a lovely pulled-together look.


A cardigan pairs beautifully with a flowy jumpsuit like this. (Linking a similar one in cashmere).

A pashmina scarf covers the jumpsuit in a classy way.


A bonus look: a simple white tee underneath the jumpsuit looks casual and covers the shoulders nicely.

News
📍Take part in the Chic Assignment for August and join our Daily Connoisseur community.

📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.


On Instagram
I thought you'd appreciate my Instagram post from this week... Can you relate to my daughter's doll?

View this post on Instagram

Walked into my daughter’s room and found her American Girl doll like this. This is what I look like at the end of the day. She probably modeled this after me. Doll, I can relate! 😂 #connoisseurkids #dailyconnoisseur #sahm #momlife #momsbelike #americangirldoll

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on Aug 13, 2019 at 6:42pm PDT

Comment of the Week
On Instagram, simplylady.d writes, "This post was just what I needed. All of your videos have had such a profound influence on my life ! I've recently purchased and received your exquisite books and one on audio. You've got me listening to Scott Joplin and playing in the background while I home make. I've been watching Andre Rieu - Grande Valse Viennoise. I'm in anticipation of your monthly assignments. In short : you've brought chic to my home life , for which my Dear Husband truly appreciates. Thank you so much Jennifer. 🌹💜xx"

Thank you so much for your kind comment on Instagram. I'm so happy that The Chic Assignment has been a blessing to you!




Visit my newly designed Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my affordable eCourses on the ten-item wardrobe, debt-free living, and efficiency at home

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

Interested in sponsoring a video on The Daily Connoisseur? Contact me here.

FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links are affiliate.

In parts one and two of this series, I shared what I believe are the biggest enemies to homemakers. I've also shared The Homemaker's Best Friend. Today we are going to explore the third biggest enemy.



As a working and homeschooling mother of four children, I have a lot of experience as a homemaker. In this series, I explore the roadblocks that we face as keepers of the home. This video is not just for women like me, but all men and women who struggle with looking after their space.

We all desire to live in a beautiful and serene space. That is synonymous with a tidy space. But how can we keep our home clean and beautiful and still keep our sanity? It’s an interesting conundrum for sure, but I use a technique to explore living well. I look at the road blocks I face. I look at what holds me back and what is keeping me from achieving what I desire. So… are you ready to hear the third biggest enemy?

Unpreparedness

Yes, being unprepared.

How can this prevent us from keeping our homes as we would like?

Well, when we are disorganized and unprepared we become frustrated and waste valuable time trying to find what we need to complete our tasks throughout the day. That’s just a shallow look at the matter. But truly, this is a very deep issue.

In order to run an effective home, we need to be prepared. Prepared with our meals, prepared with our cleaning, prepared for each day through our organization.

When I lived in Paris with Madame Chic, I marveled at how she ran her home. Her home was run like a small boutique hotel. Meals were planned and on time, like clockwork. The house was always tidy and organized. There weren’t explosions of clutter here and there. There was no chaos.

So how can we be prepared like Madame Chic?

We can set everything aside and sit down and decide to take this homemaking business seriously. Even though you don’t get paid for it, even though you might already have another job, you can look at homemaking as your job as well. One you delight in.

Get intentional about meal planning. Keep your cleaning supplies organized and in strategic areas in your home so when it’s time to clean, you are totally ready. Set yourself up with a routine that you can stick to.

In short, be prepared.

Homemaking, though it can be overwhelming and exhausting, is also deeply satisfying work. Be prepared for all of it’s challenges and all of its beauty and you will not regret the time you spent doing so.

I hope you’re enjoying my homemaker series. Be sure to comment down below about how you like to prepare as a homemaker.

Here are links to some of the things featured in today's video: my books, my dress, my apron, my velvet hair tie, A Year in Provence book (by the way, if you haven't read this book, you must!), natural cleaning supplies and e-cloth, the candle is breathe easy by Cellar Door, the vacuum is Dyson (my model is a few years old... this is the newest one).
News
📍Take part in the Chic Assignment for August and join our Daily Connoisseur community.

📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.


‎Comment of the Week

A Lovely Inconsequence writes, "Hello Jennifer, I am acquainted with Childe Hassam because I am from Boston where his painting "Boston Common at Twilight" is very famous. It depicts a 19th century dusk in winter at the Boston Commons and even today and if one knows a Boston winter, it can make you shiver. The composition's light is exactly as it on a winter afternoon. My grandmother had a postcard of the painting on a bookshelf in her hallway."

Thank you for checking in for The Chic Assignment, Donna! By the way, readers, be sure to stop by Donna's blog and check it out. She has a lovely space over there.


Thank you for joining us today. I hope you're enjoying this homemaker series. I'm enjoying filming it.

I'll see you soon!


Visit my newly designed Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my affordable eCourses on the ten-item wardrobe, debt-free living, and efficiency at home

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

Interested in sponsoring a video on The Daily Connoisseur? Contact me here.

FTC: This video is sponsored by American Blossom Linens. The link to the headband is affiliate.

Hello everyone, I hope you had a lovely weekend. In today's video I am trying something a little different: I'm responding to popular etiquette posts on Reddit.



What is Reddit? Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website. Registered members submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down by other members. It's kind of like Facebook for the world.

It's quite amusing to go on Reddit and read the various posts and subreddits. Today, I'm going to read to you from the subreddit, r/etiquette, where people submit their burning etiquette questions for the world to respond to.

This is a longer video, so here are the time stamps and topics discussed, in case you want to skip ahead or know what's coming:

2:18 Realtor gives expensive gift but client gave a cheap one
6:20 Groomsman tuxedo is too expensive. Help!
7:57 Group thank you for church meal train? Or individual thank you?
10:21 Should you confront a coworker with a wardrobe malfunction?
13:37 Shared laundry facility: should you remove someone else's clothes?
17:08 Do I need to take earbuds out when talking to others?
17:57 MIL Drama: When a mother-in-law is too encouraging on Facebook.
21:30 Shared office space coffee aggravation. What to do?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on all of these topics. Which ones do you have advice for?
News
📍Take part in the Chic Assignment for August and join our Daily Connoisseur community.

📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

On Instagram
Madame Chic in Poland...

View this post on Instagram

Trzy doskonale napisane książki o stylu autorstwa @dailyconnoisseur ❤️ Każda z nich zawiera opisane doświadczenia autorki, które doświadczyła mieszkając we Francji w domu Madame Chic. W tych poradnikach znajdziesz m. in. podpowiedź jak wprowadzić do swojego życia szyk i elegancję, w jaki sposób stworzyć piękny a zarazem naturalny make-up, jak stworzyć idealną dla siebie przestrzeń, jak w stylowy sposób przyjmować gości, jak stworzyć dziesięcioelementową szafę oraz jak celebrować dzień. #jenniferlscott #wdomumadamechic #lekcjemadamechic #szkoławdziękumadamechic #katiaczyta #booklover #bookphotography #bookinspiration #książkoholik #bookstyle #bookinstagram #bookoholic #bookpicture

A post shared by Katia (@katiaczyta) on Aug 8, 2019 at 2:13am PDT

If you would like your Instagram featured on the blog, use the hashtag #jenniferlscott
Comment of the Week
Donna writes, "There is a simple quote that goes something like this: “A dress code is about being respectful of the event (or place) you are attending.” It seems we’ve lost the art of being respectful of many things these days. Whenever we choose to attend any event or place why not go elsewhere if you don’t like the dress code or regulations? Just like we can turn off a bad TV show or social media we seem to have forgotten that we always have an alternate choice that is much more respectful than protesting against things we don’t agree with."

Hi Donna, yours was one of the most voted up comments on YouTube. I do still think it is important for people to protest what they don't agree with as that is one of our treasured freedoms in this country, but I do agree that with certain common sense guidelines, like dressing appropriately in the school and work environment, pushing back against such criteria seems like a distraction.

I hope you enjoyed today's video. I would love to hear your thoughts on any or all of the topics discussed. Weigh in and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.


Visit my newly designed Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my affordable eCourses on the ten-item wardrobe, debt-free living, and efficiency at home

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

Interested in sponsoring a video on The Daily Connoisseur? Contact me here.

FTC: This video is sponsored by American Blossom Linens. The link to the headband is affiliate.

Hello friends,

I am back with another 3 Articles on Dress video. Today we are going to explore gender neutral dress codes, dressing well for air travel, and the surprising latest fall trend.



The first article discusses the recent Gender Neutral Dress Code implemented at a Virginia Public School.

The second article, which I have discussed before on the channel, shares an argument for why we should dress well for air travel via Slate.

The final article discusses the surprising fall trend: bourgeoisie "boring" dressing.

Be sure to watch today's video to hear the details on each article and my thoughts. I would love to know yours too!

Please note: this is the headband I am wearing in today's video.

Thank you to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring today's video.



American Blossom Linens provides 100% organic cotton linens that are made completely in the USA. This is a small family business that produces such high quality bedding. Janet, one of the owners, has been a long-time reader of The Daily Connoisseur.
Use the code Jennifer20 for 20% off the first order.

If you have a small business and are interested in sponsoring a video on The Daily Connoisseur, you may contact me here. I give a discount to small businesses.

News
📍Take part in the Chic Assignment for August and join our Daily Connoisseur community.

📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.


‎Comment of the Week
On Facebook, Sandie B. writes, "Hi Jennifer, Just to let you know, following on from your video regarding compliments...
I have received three different complements on three different dresses that I’ve worn in the last week, as well as my teenage daughter telling me one of my outfits was cute!
Dressing nicely boosts confidence, and each outfit was secondhand so didn’t cost a fortune!!"

Sandie, this is so wonderful! I'm thrilled you are feeling great in your flattering dresses. Thanks for letting us know!

I hope you enjoyed today's video. I would love to hear your thoughts on all of the articles discussed. Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.



Visit my newly designed Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my affordable eCourses on the ten-item wardrobe, debt-free living, and efficiency at home

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

Interested in sponsoring a video on The Daily Connoisseur? Contact me here.

FTC: This video is sponsored by American Blossom Linens. The link to the headband is affiliate.

Today I’m going to share with you a Homemaker’s best friend. I’m going to cut right to the chase and let you know what it is. Yes, it’s a timer. You don’t have to have a fancy timer like this one. You could use the one on your phone or on the microwave. Any timer will do.



Why is the timer a homemaker’s best friend? Well… that is what I am going to reveal to you in today’s video.

How many times have you had to clean at the end of a long day and thought, I simply cannot do this. I literally cannot tidy anything up right now, I’m so tired. Or you might not even be tired, you might actually have a lot of energy, but you’d rather spend it doing something, anything else. (If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, be sure to watch my video, The Number One Enemy to Homemakers.)

Well, we often talk ourselves into a frenzy about the chores we have to do. Can you relate? We build it up in our minds as this horrible dreaded task that is going to take forever, when in reality the chore at hand doesn’t actually take that long to do.

I love to time myself for 15 minutes, although I have been known to do 5 minutes and even power hours. But 15 minutes is usually the time frame I work with the most.

You would be amazed to know what you can accomplish in 15 minutes.

Most of the time I set the timer for 15 minutes to clean the kitchen and I’m done within 8 minutes. Then I just use the rest of the time to tidy something else or I sit down and enjoy a break.

The power of the timer is in your perception. Usually when you don’t feel like cleaning, you can convince yourself to at least devote 15 minutes to the task at hand. Tell yourself that when the timer goes off you will stop no matter what.

During those 15 minutes you can listen to a podcast or have a YouTube video on in the background or listen to beautiful music. I guarantee, those 15 minutes will fly.

Sometimes at the end of the 15 minutes something curious happens. I have regained my motivation for cleaning and actually want to continue. That has happened to me more times than I could count.

Use the timer technique on any task and in any room. Every family member, including the children, can also benefit from using a timer.

The timer is the homemaker’s best friend. Use it everyday as a motivational tool. Make it your best friend.


The vintage timer is found on Amazon. The dish tray, dish brushes, flower dish soap dispenser and dish soap are all from Grove Collaborative. The microfiber cloths used are by e-cloth. The apron is by Cath Kidston, a gift from my mother-in-law.

News
📍On Tuesday, I posted a video on YouTube discussing my thoughts on social media. The comment section is full of insights on your social media experience. The title of my video is, My Instagram is Rated D+ | Here's Why That's a Good Thing. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the notification bell to see the videos that are not featured on the blog.

📍Take part in the Chic Assignment for August and join our Daily Connoisseur community.

📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.


On Instagram
Madame Chic in Mongolia...

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It’s my happiness. #weekendvibes #scribblesthatmatter #lessonsfrommadamechic #loccitanelipstick💄 #coffeeholic #flowers🌸 #minimalizm

A post shared by NamyNamuun (@namy_namuun) on Aug 2, 2019 at 7:47pm PDT

If you would like your Instagram featured on The Daily Connoisseur, snap a picture of one of your Madame Chic books and use the hashtag #jenniferlscott

Comment of the Week

KWheels writes, "After watching and then pondering your video on the number 1 enemy to homemaking, I went and deleted IG and FB. I honestly thought that Facebook was more distracting, but it was amazing the difference it made to let go of IG! I was following some pretty wonderful ladies, but I was unintentionally trying to mimic their life and feeling defeated when mine didn’t line up. Thank you for being a solid D+! 😍"


KWheels, yours was the most liked comment on YouTube! Thanks for sharing your freeing experience. I'm embracing my D+ grade on Instagram :)

Thank you for joining us for today's video. I would love to know if you like to use a timer to clean. Does this technique work for you?


Visit my newly designed Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my affordable eCourses on the ten-item wardrobe, debt-free living, and efficiency at home

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

FTC: This video is not sponsored. Some links may be affiliate.

I'm back with another outfits of the week video from my ten-item capsule wardrobe.



Let's get right into the outfits:



Saturday: I'm wearing the red floral blouse (linking similar here), denim skirt (linking similar) and blue bow sandals (linking similar). My phone case is Casetify.


Sunday: I'm using a twisted crop top over my polka dot dress. I have been experimenting with layering lately and will have a video coming on this soon.


Monday: On this very hot day I'm wearing the Lands' End seafoam dress with my nude patent sandals. In my hair is the velvet bow scrunchie.


Tuesday: Nautical Chic day! Navy stripe tee shirt (similar), cropped jeans by Mott & Bow, red ballet flats (linking similar), velvet scrunchie.


Wednesday: I'm experimenting with the layered look with this wrap cropped tee over the brushstroke dress. My earrings are Ana Luisa (use code Jennifer10 for $10 off)


Thursday: I'm wearing the button-down chambray shirt dress (linking similar), floral apron (a gift from my mother-in-law), and leopard sandals.


Friday: Today I'm wearing the button-down chambray tie blouse (linking similar) on top of the olive dress... one of my favorite looks from the summer!

UPDATE: Many of you are asking about my tablecloth. I am linking a similar one here as mine is several years old.

News
📍On Friday I posted a video on YouTube called, My Perfectionism on Full Display. If you are not subscribed to my channel, be sure to do so by clicking the red subscribe button, then the bell for email notifications. It's free and you will never miss a video.


📍Take part in the Chic Assignment for August and join our Daily Connoisseur community.

📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

📍 The Daily Connoisseur Instagram has reached over 20,000 subscribers! Thank you to everyone who follows me there despite me being perhaps the worst Instagrammer ever. Ha!

View this post on Instagram

Happy Sunday! I looked up my Instagram performance on Social Blade and was horrified and slightly amused to be given a D+. I know I'm terrible about posting, I still don't know how to do stories, and I don't often reply (I am on "screens" so much for my job that I get on and off social media as quickly as possible). But despite all of that, I somehow amassed over 20,000 followers. I just want to say THANK YOU for supporting my Instagram, even though I am terrible at it. This past Friday I posted a video only on YouTube only called, My Perfectionism on Full Display. Ha! Can you relate? I just want to express how much this community means to me. I will never complain about the work I do because I love it and you so much. So thank you. I'll see you tomorrow for a long overdue outfits of the week video for my ten-item wardrobe. Thanks for being the best. Love, Jennifer P.S. this is mint from my garden. It makes the best bouquet #dailyconnoisseur #madamechic #connoisseurkids #jenniferlscott #writersofinstagram #youtuber #capsulewardrobe #tenitemwardrobe #perfectionism #homemaking #homemaker #workingmom #mint #gardenbouquet #bluecabinets

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on Aug 4, 2019 at 2:40pm PDT

On Instagram
My Japanese children's book, Mademoiselle Chic...

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・ ・ ・ 今夜の本📕 子ども向けの絵本だけれど 大切なことが書かれていて背すじがピン！とします☺︎ ・ ・ 優しくて、柔軟で、強くて、自分に負けない 素敵な女性になりたい！ ・ ・ #マドモアゼルシック #すてきな女の子になるレッスン #ジェニファーlスコット #jenniferlscott #読書 #読書記録 #美人読書 #louis_lecture #夜読書 #夜活 #louis_nuit #chubbyの巣 #寝室 #bedroom #可愛くなりたい #綺麗になりたい #大人の可愛い計画 ・ ・ 20190512 ・ ・

A post shared by ちゃびぃ ぼーくん (@chubby_bokun) on May 12, 2019 at 6:13am PDT

Comment of the Week
This was a letter I received on my Author website from Rachel, who agreed to allow me to share her story here. Rachel writes, "I wanted to thank you for your message of manners and poise. As the wife of a local politician, I daily see adults whose negative words and behaviors reflect poorly on them, and contribute to the strife we all see between people. Your books and blog are a welcome lesson in conducting myself with calm dignity, no matter what others are saying about my husband or our family. Just this evening I brought our children to a debate to watch their father speak. I prepared the children ahead of time with a poise message I learned from reading your material, and we all five conducted ourselves well during some nasty untrue speeches. My husband did very well during the debate, and he even managed to do so without insulting his opposition or calling them passive aggressive names! No matter how others behave, my family and I know that we can conduct ourselves in a way that makes us proud. Thank you for putting your message out, and have a wonderful evening!"

Dear Rachel, I really loved reading your story and think it holds such an important message. Thank you for sharing how you are raising your children to be polite in the face of a rude society.

I hope you enjoyed today's outfit of the week video. How has your summer wardrobe performing? Let us know and your comment could be comment of the week on the blog.


Before we go I would like to offer my condolences to all of the families affected by the terrible mass shootings this past weekend. I am praying we can heal as a nation together.


Visit my newly designed Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my affordable eCourses on the ten-item wardrobe, debt-free living, and efficiency at home

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

FTC: This video is not sponsored. Some links may be affiliate.

Welcome to The Chic Assignment for August 2019!



Chic Assignment no. 1 Scott Joplin's Ragtime music- Maple Leaf Rag, The Entertainer
We are departing from classical music this month to explore the world of Ragtime through the wildly talented Scott Joplin. Joplin is most famous for his pieces, The Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer (chances are, if you have a piano student in your home, they have played The Entertainer). I am going to leave a few videos for you to listen to here.

Here is an actual recording of Scott Joplin playing The Maple Leaf Rag (!)



Here is over an hour and a half of Joplin's music, The Best of Scott Joplin.



I will go over Joplin's biography more in the check-in later this month.

Chic Assignment no. 2 We are going to explore the artwork of Childe Hassam

I wanted to choose an artist I didn't know much about for this month's assignment so I could discover a whole new world of art. I looked up artists who were alive and creating around the same time Scott Joplin was, and came across Childe Hassam.



From The Smithsonian American Art Museum...
Hassam spent many summers on Appledore Island off the coast of Maine. Every year, he and a circle of musicians, writers and other artists made an informal colony based at the home of his friend, the poet Celia Thaxter. In Thaxter's gardens and on the rocky beaches, Hassam used the flickering brushwork and brilliant colors he had adopted in France to capture the spangled light of Appledore's brief summer. This painting evokes the leisurely, seasonal rhythms of America's priveleged families in the last years before the Great War. A beautifully dressed woman shields her face from the sun; she looks down and away, as if absorbed in the song of a sandpiper, the island bird that inspired Celia Thaxter's most famous children's poem.

I am leaving a link to this website where you can see more of Hassam's exquisite work. Let me know which piece moves you. I'll share my pick with you during the mid-month check-in.


Chic Assignment no. 3 The art of letter writing

This month we are going to take up the lost art of letter writing. Write a handwritten letter and send it off in the mail to a friend or family member. Think of how neat it would be if 10,000 letters were circulating this month delighting 10,000 recipients!

Receiving a handwritten letter these days is so rare that the person you write to will be so pleasantly surprised. Don't worry if you don't have fancy stationery, any paper will do. I would love to know updates about your letter and how the recipient reacted. Be sure to let us know in the comments.

Chic Assignment no. 4 Prepare your wardrobe for the transition in season. We are headed into fall and our Southern Hemisphere friends are headed into spring. It's time to transition our ten-item wardrobes to the upcoming season. I plan to have some content on my YouTube channel walking through this process. As for your assignment: this is a great time to assess your wardrobe from this season to decide what works and what didn't. What should stay and what should go and how you plan to store your out-of-season items going forward. It's also a great time to start planning for fall.

News
📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.

📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.

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Comment of the Week
Jenny A. writes, "In my very early married life and older lady gave me advice I never forgot. Don’t worry about the things you haven’t got, and look after the things you have! I’ve always followed that advice given over 60 years ago."

Hi Jenny, I loved your comment. What great advice!

Thank you for participating in The Chic Assignment for August. I look forward to reading about your updates. Tag me on social media with #TheChicAssignment or leave your comments here.


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