The children and I are preparing our Spring garden. Today we bought some herbs, vegetables, and flowers and enjoy spending the afternoon tending to our little patch of land.
I share an excerpt of Emily Dickinson's poem in the video... here is the remainder of the poem.
A light exists in Spring
by Emily Dickinson
A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period —
When March is scarcely here
A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot overtake
But Human Nature feels.
It waits upon the Lawn,
It shows the furthest Tree
Upon the furthest Slope you know
It almost speaks to you.
Then as Horizons step
Or Noons report away
Without the Formula of sound
It passes and we stay —
A quality of loss
Affecting our Content
As Trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a Sacrament.
I hope you enjoy today's video and that it brings you joy :)
News
📍Join me for the Mapp & Lucia book club's final installment, which will take place this summer. You can read my book club announcement here.
📍 I shared my review of Teami Blend's Bloom Tea in Tuesday's YouTube video. This is a lovely tea with black tea leaves, dried rosebuds, dried roselle, dried blueberries and dried pineapple. It is mildly sweet from the fruit, totally natural and very light and delicious for spring. Use code JLS20 for 20% off.
Comment of the Week
Shiryon writes, "I really am grateful for getting that "for special occasions only" mindset out of my life. Life is too short to not enjoy our nice things all the time. My grandmother died with brand new things wrapped in plastic, while only wearing worn out clothes daily, I guess it's that "depression era" mentality that that generation had. Thank you for another fun and inspiring video."
Thank you, Shiryon! It was a real shift when I got the "for special occasions only" mindset out of my life. I am so happy to hear your shift with this too!
Thank you for joining us for today's Clueless Gardeners episode. I hope you found it therapeutic as well. See you soon for The Chic Assignment for June!
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My floral maxi dress: it's one of the most versatile core pieces in my ten-item wardrobe. How can it be that I love to wear this dress around the house, and I also wear it to special events like a wedding? In today's video I'm going to share four different ways to style a floral maxi dress to take it from casual to dressy.
Before we begin, this is the (budget) floral maxi dress I am wearing in today's video. I am also listing several other options here:
For very low cut dresses, you will need a demi-camisole.
Look no. 1: Casual Everyday
This is how I most often wear this dress: with flat nude patent sandals, white leggings underneath, my hair tied up and casual jewelry. It's just a beautiful way to dress for no particular reason.
If it's sunny outside, I like to wear a large sunhat (linking similar).
Look no. 2: Casual Wedge
This look is casual yet slightly dressy with the added height from the wedge. I'm tying my hair back in a ponytail and wearing drop earrings. This would be great for a lunch meeting or even a casual dinner.
Look no. 3: Elegant and dressy
I'm pairing the floral maxi dress with closed-toe Ferragamo heels (linking comparable budget heels here) and pearl earrings. You could also wear a shawl with this on colder days. This is a great look for a wedding or a special performance. A nude clutch will finish off the look.
Look no. 4: Dressy and Glamorous
These ultra high Jimmy Choo strappy sandals paired with the high-end gemstone jewelry make this look beautiful for a fancy wedding or even a red carpet event. Jimmy Choo is a very pricey brand so I am also linking a budget strappy sandal here.
The pearl earrings, hoop earrings, and gold bracelet featured are from Ana Luisa Jewelry NY
Use code Jennifer10 for $10 off your order
News
📍Join me for the Mapp & Lucia book club's final installment, which will take place this summer. You can read my book club announcement here.
Comment of the Week
On last week's stress video, Lorraine B writes, "I love every one of your tips, and would love to hear Mr. Connoisseur's perspective also! I really enjoy knitting for myself and also gifts for friends & family. I would like to add that gifting some of your hand made items also relieves stress. Thinking of your loved ones as you cook, bake, garden, sew, knit, crochet, ect. for them makes you feel more connected to them emotionally. And seeing the joy & appreciation as they receive it does even more so.
My husband and I both enjoy listening to classical music, which we have you to thank for! We've never cultivated a love for classical music until you inspired us to, so thank you."
Hi Lorraine, gifting the handmade items is a wonderful idea. I love your thoughts on how thinking of our loved ones as we create things can alleviate our stress. That is so true because it puts everything in perspective. Thank you for your comment!
I hope you enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend. Thank you to the men and women who have served our country. We remember those soldiers who have given their lives for our freedom and are so grateful to them.
I would love to know how you like to style your dresses to take them from casual to dressy. Thank you and I will see you soon!
As part of The Chic Assignment this month, we are getting manicure and pedicure ready. I have been enjoying doing these manicure videos for you. Today, I'm painting my nails with Londontown's Dainty Daze, which is a lovely periwinkle blue creme.
I normally do not like to wear blue polish, but there is something about this color.
The 9-free polishes I use are Dainty Daze and the Gel Genius Base and Top Coat.
Londontown generously give The Daily Connoisseur audience a discount. Use code JenniferS for 25% off your order.
I hope today's manicure video inspires your self care routine. Tag me with pictures of your own at-home manicures with the hashtag #dailyconnoisseur or #jenniferlscott See you soon!
My last video on combating stress sparked a lot of conversation. Turns out, almost all of us deal with stress! I am not surprised by this. Whether financial stress, workload stress, parenting stress, or all of the above, people are interested in reducing it. How can we move through life beautifully and go through challenging times with grace?
I sat down with Ben and we did an experiment. I wrote down ten ways to combat stress and he wrote down his. When we revealed our ways to each other they were so different! My ways were actions and his ways were mental shifts. Perhaps I can get Ben to come back and share his tips with you, but in today's video, I'm sharing ten ways that I personally combat stress.
🌿Get out in nature This is what I discussed primarily in my last stress video, but I find that as soon as I step out into nature, my stress tends to dissolve. You could go on a walk, have a picnic, sit on a park bench, or just observe what you see through nature journaling.
🌿Spend quality time with your children I do realize that children are often the cause of our stress so this may seem antithetical, but when you view the world through a child's eyes and get down on their level to play, your stress dissolves. Put your to-do list away and start to pretend play.
🌿Stay off social media for an extended period of time I know many of you already do this. Social media induces stress for me. I especially do not like the addictive tendencies I have toward checking my Instagram or Facebook feeds. Lots of time spent on social media also represents lots of time we are wasting and not being productive, which can lead to stress as well. Take regular extended breaks from it and over time you will not want to go on as much.
🌿Read a book Picture this: you are in a well-lit reading nook, sitting in your favorite arm chair with a cup of tea and your favorite book. Isn't your stress dissipating already? In lieu of watching TV, I like to tuck in with a good book and my stress seems to melt when I do this...
🌿Spa-like self care While many of us cannot afford to take a spa day (let alone find time to get away), we can still recreate a spa-like experience at home. Ideas that I regularly do: take a hot bath, apply a face mask, at-home manicures and pedicures, etc.
🌿Get a massage I store much of my stress and tension in my neck and shoulders so a massage is one instant way to help relieve that stress. You can get a massage from a family member, a professional masseuse, or from tools at home, such as this deep tissue back roller and this shiatsu hot stone massager.
🌿Work with your hands Knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, crafting, flower arranging, woodworking... there are many concentrated skills we can do with our hands that require focused attention and are deeply satisfying. I find that this type of activity is a great stress- reliever.
🌿Do some gardening Even though I am a rather clueless gardener, I still greatly enjoy getting out in the fresh air and being amongst our kitchen garden. It is very therapeutic to sow seeds, plant plants and even pull weeds. This is also an aspect of getting out in nature. You don't need a plot of land to garden, you just need some pots and a little outdoor space.
🌿Listen to classical music Perhaps my favorite on the list and the tactic I employ most often, listening to classical music has been proven to reduce stress. I just received a comment recently from a reader who wrote:
Hi, Jennifer! I was listening to a podcast about anxiety with my husband last night. He's a counselor and I have a business helping families simplify at home, so this is a topic we both share a great interest in. The discussion included ways to take your body from the sympathetic state (fight or flight) to a more relaxed parasympathetic state. One of the ways was through listening to music with seventy beats per minute, such as classical music. In fact, studies show that your heart will beat in time with classical music! It's that fascinating?! It made me think of your classical music advocacy. :)
Cook and bake from scratch As I write this, our kitchen was finished yesterday. The first meal I made? Large batch chicken pot pie. I made triple the pie filling and froze two... then I made a pie crust from scratch and we had our pot pie for dinner. It was deeply satisfying and was a marvelous escape. Cooking from scratch, especially when you make an event of it (tie an apron... listen to some music... etc.) is a wonderful way to relieve stress.
My pies always tend to look... rustic :)
On my nails: Dainty Daze- a periwinkle creme Use code JenniferS for 25% off your order.
Today's video was brought to us by Skillshare, which is an online learning platform with over 25,000 classes on any possible skill you could want to acquire. The first 500 of my subscribers to sign up through my link will receive 2 months of Skillshare premium for free. Thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video.
News
📍Join me for the Mapp & Lucia book club's final installment, which will take place this summer. You can read my book club announcement here.
Comment of the Week
On The Chic Assignment Check-in, Nicole M. writes, "I adored the Gymnopedies! I plan on playing more frequently and of course for my toddler. The sweet somber pace gave a feeling of release, of slowing down. Thank you thank you.
Oh Renoir. As an art history student myself, I loved learning about the impressionists. The flicking of the brushstrokes, the warm palate, the conversational atmosphere that he created was undeniable. Next library run, I will bring home large format art books for my toddler to ogle at!
I just rescued old jewelry from my parents basement and received hand-me-downs from my mother. I’m elated to wear “new” things!
Buying that foot file NOW!"
Thank you, Nicole! I enjoy reading everyone's findings for The Chic Assignment. What an enjoyable series this is. Thank you for joining us!
I would love to know your tips for reducing stress. What actionable tips seem to work for you? Please let us know and your comment could be comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur.
I have another week of outfits for you today to inspire you in your ten-item wardrobe. This time, I shoot rapid OOTD (outfits of the days) and don't chat too much about my schedule. I know many of you don't have time to watch longer videos. Please tell me which format you prefer.
This week, Ben and I celebrated our 13th anniversary. He enjoyed crashing my OOTD filming. I sometimes wonder what he thinks of my strange job. I think he gets it!
As I am writing this, the weather has turned here as it has in much of the country. It was very chilly and rainy today. I plan to bring out some fall sweaters and coats to wear with my spring clothes. We will see how that works. But I am getting ahead fo myself... let's have a look at the outfits in this week's video. I have linked items below.
Comment of the Week
On last week's What I look like at the end of the day video, Skogfisk writes, "Thank you so much for this video! I think this is one of the most inspiring videos you have made. You always say that it's about looking presentable, not perfect - it is wonderful to see how you practice this in your everyday life. This makes me feel like I can do it too :)"
Thank you, Skogfisk! I'm so happy that this video has encouraged so many. Even though the days are long and hard I don't regret investing my time with my family. It truly brings deep satisfaction!
Thank you for watching this week's outfits of the week. I have some fun videos planned for this week. Thank you, as always, for joining me.
My self-care manicure series continues with today's beautiful peach almond manicure. Peach, because we are using the color Peach Please by Londontown (who make beautiful, long-lasting 9-free nail polishes) and almond, because I'm using L'Occitane's supple skin almond oil (I'm also linking a less pricey almond oil here) and hand cream in the process.
I start my manicure by trimming my nails and cleaning up any hang nails with clippers. Then I file them in a short, rounded square shape with a nail file. After that, I soak them in a mixture of warm water and the almond oil, orange essential oil, and peach rose petals.
After soaking my nails, I apply an almond cream and give my hands a light massage. If you push your cuticles back, now would be the time to do it, by wrapping a manicure stick tip in a cotton round and gently pushing them back.
Finally, before applying polish, rub nail polish remover over your nails to prepare them for polish application.
I'm trying out a shimmery eye and a watercolor cheek in today's le no makeup look tutorial.
I frequently get requests to share what makeup brushes I use. The brushes I've collected over the years had been from all different collections and they were starting to get old. Osmosis sent me their entire makeup brush line to use and review for you. The brushes are very high quality and are all available on Amazon luxury. I've been using the brushes for a few weeks now and am very impressed with their quality. Each brush has a specific job and does it well.
Kabuki Brush Small but mighty, this brush delivers medium to full coverage with a soft and luscious dome-shaped head that’s compact enough to travel with you anywhere you go! Because of its fullness, a little bit of product goes a long way with this brush, start small and build up as necessary.
Base Brush This flat top, synthetic vegan brush serves as the perfect partner to either your mineral powder and liquid Base products to promote seamless application with generous coverage in one easy step.
Dome Powder Brush The full, rounded shape of this brush head makes it your go-to makeup multi-tasker. Touch up a light layer of base with the outer sides, or softly contour by sweeping on blush or bronzer using the tip of the brush.
Full Face Brush Luxurious and plush, this mega brush was designed for the perfect even light application of pressed and loose powders, illuminators, and bronzers. Its size also makes it a wonderful blending tool.
Large Accent Brush Use this large duo fiber brush to apply soft layers of liquid or powder foundation with ease, or create texture on the face with this ultimate blending tool. This hybrid brush has both synthetic and animal hair making it the perfect tool for a lightweight, airbrushed application for liquid, cream, and powder formulations.
Medium Accent Brush This hybrid brush has both synthetic and animal hair making it the perfect tool for a lightweight, airbrushed, application of liquid, cream, and powder formulations. With a medium sized head this brush is ideal for applying and blending blushes, bronzer, and highlighting.
Small Accent Brush This hybrid brush is made of both synthetic and animal hair, making it the perfect tool for a lightweight, airbrushed application of liquid, cream and powder formulations. Its tapered tip is ideal for pin-point concealing, setting powder to small areas and applying and blending color on the lids.
Angled Blush Brush Perfectly designed for precise blush, contour, and highlighter application, this brush flaunts dense bristles that are ideal for blending as you apply.
Blender Brush This full and fluffy brush head serves as a universal blending tool for any look. Ideal for both creamy and powder formulations, this go-to brush helps smudge eye looks, buff out creases or lines, and blend precise areas.
Contour Shadow Brush Effortlessly add dimension and definition to your eye look with the pencil-like shape of this brush head that caters to both precision and blending.
Crease Brush While this brush is optimal for applying and blending shadow in the crease to create dimension and contour, its soft and versatile brush head can also be used for the full lid or precision highlighting.
Concealer Brush With minimal product absorption, this is the perfect tool to achieve a smooth application in small, precise areas of the face such as under the eyes, sides of the nose, or pinpoint concealing.
Foundation Brush This flat-faced, synthetic brush will deliver smooth application of liquid base products with no absorption so you can achieve a flawless finish.
Eyeliner/ Brow Brush This dual-ended brush is a must-have for your makeup bag. Use it to line the lips, eyes, or brows to create a clean, put-together look in a flash.
Oval Shadow Brush Designed to help you effortlessly apply eye shadow like a pro, its flat, oval-shaped brush head adds versatility to your makeup game. Sweep a base shadow over the full lid, contour the crease, or add highlights to the brow bone or lower lash line.
Retractable Lip Brush This lip brush is compact and retractable for convenient, effortless application anywhere! Its soft, synthetic bristles deliver even color distribution and promote precision-lining and contouring for a full, non-feathering look.
You could most likely create this look with the makeup you already have. For those of you who would like to know what I use in this video I am linking the makeup below:
On my lips I'm using MAC's Grand Dame shade, which is no longer available. I am linking a similar shade here from Osmosis. and Emile Cordon miracle lip balm in powdered rose.
Comment of the Week
Unknown writes, "Hi, Jennifer! I was listening to a podcast about anxiety with my husband last night. He's a counselor and I have a business helping families simplify at home, so this is a topic we both share a great interest in. The discussion included ways to take your body from the sympathetic state (fight or flight) to a more relaxed parasympathetic state. One of the ways was through listening to music with seventy beats per minute, such as classical music. In fact, studies show that your heart will beat in time with classical music! It's that fascinating?! It made me think of your classical music advocacy. :) "
Unknown, that is fascinating! I knew that Classical music was calming and a stress reducer for me but it's fun to hear the science behind it too. I will mention your comment in an upcoming video I am doing on stress. Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed today's makeup look. I would love to hear any makeup tips you have been enjoying this spring. I'll see you soon!
