My fifth favorite movie of the decade is 2001's Y Tu Mamá También (And Your Mother Too) directed by Alfonso Cuarón. It takes place in Mexico in the year 1999 and explores the coming of age of two teenage boys: Julio (Gael García Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna).The boys find themselves bored one summer after their girlfriends...

It has been a while since I have fallen in love with a scent. As some of you know the two scents I wear the most are Stella and Narciso Rodriguez For Her. This past summer I purchased Stella Sheer- the limited edition summer version of the original Stella and fell in love with that (and almost cried when I couldn’t get...

So I can’t believe I haven’t written about this yet but a French family has recently moved in next door to me in my Santa Monica town home! Our neighbors have rented out their home for one year and in moved a family from France. You can imagine my delight upon learning this news as I have been able to observe how true...

I have recently been regaling you with tales of the dinner parties I attended while living in Paris. Those magical occasions were my favorite part about my time there and through my lamentations of remembrance you wonderful readers gently reminded me that I can in fact throw my own dinner party comme les Français in Santa...

A film of quiet beauty, Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003) is my sixth favorite film of the decade. Lost in Translation stars Bill Murray as aged movie star Bob Harris. Harris is in Tokyo to film a lucrative commercial for Suntory whiskey. There he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the lonely wife of a...

I would love to claim that I am the type of person to only read important literature- rich in philosophical and heart wrenching prose- (and I do read those books every now and then) but sometimes there is something very satisfying about reading a good old fashioned guilty pleasure... Dan Brown, bestselling author of The...

I recently wrote a post entitled Mystery- Comme les Français where I discussed the unfortunate effects of TMI (too much information) syndrome in our society. Based on the overwhelming response I received from you in the comment section of that post I take it that we are mostly on the same page… and being mysterious is...

Actually before I tell you who the winner of the L’Occitane en Provence Giveaway is, I want to tell you how thoroughly impressed I am with your creative and varied answers to my question What is your current favorite little luxury?Your answers were so passionate and inspiring- they made me look at little luxuries in a...

2006’s Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola is my number seven favorite film of the decade. Yes, I will admit that I have a lifelong obsession with all things Marie Antoinette- I’ve read her biography by Antonia Fraser (highly recommended, btw), I’ve read the biography of her perfumer, I have books on her palaces...

I actually finished this book about three weeks ago (I devour these books, I tell you) and am just now getting around to reviewing it. Merci for being patient.The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday by Alexander McCall Smith is the fifth installment in the Isabel Dalhousie series. This time around Isabel finds herself solving...

Dear Readers,This year I will be spending Christmas (and the entire month of December, really) in England and I wanted to do a holiday giveaway before I jet off! This giveaway is to thank you, my cherished readers, for your readership and continuous support on The Daily Connoisseur...So, for my first giveaway, I wanted...

This weekend I saw the film An Education by director Lone Scherfig (thank you Rose for the recommendation!). This film really moved me. I loved it and highly recommend it- but this is not a review, as I don’t wish to give anything away about the film (just go see it!). What I want to do, however, is discuss the key...

Marion Cotillard won the Oscar for best actress for her portrayal of French chanteuse, Edith Piaf in the 2007 film, and my number 8 pick, La Vie en Rose, directed by Olivier Dahan. Edith Piaf’s life was painful- it was a life lived in extremes- from the utter poverty and desolation of her youth to her later life basking...

You’ve already read about the formal occasions that were Madame Chic’s dinner parties here. Now I will delve into the passionate soirees that took place chez Madame Bohemienne… Madame Bohemienne loved to throw dinner parties (and like Madame Chic, threw them regularly). But with Madame Bohemienne’s parties there was...

So many of you have expressed interest in the Alexander McCall Smith books that I review (and am obsessed with) on The Daily Connoisseur. Many of you asked me which book to start with (there are so many!) So below, I shall describe each series that I've read and list them in order. Here we go...The No. 1 Ladies Detective...

There are many things in a home that can evoke true feelings of luxury and romance: paintings, rugs, flowers, candlelight, sumptuous pillows, lovely soaps and chandeliers... We recently installed a chandelier (pictured above) over our dining room table. I am in love with this gorgeous fixture. It creates an instant...