9.02.2019

# capsule wardrobe # fall accessories

The Chic Assignment September 2019



Welcome to The Chic Assignment for September. I have a beautiful new classical music piece for you this month as well as an amazing poet. We are also going to delve seasonally into our accessories and home decor. So let's get started!



Chic Assignment no. 1: Listen to: Sicilienne in E flat major by Maria Theresia von Paradis

This hauntingly beautiful piece has been a favorite of mine for years. Special thank you to Katie Riggs for helping me to identify the composer and title!

Here is a beautiful violin performance...
.

Maria Theresia Paradis (also von Paradies) (May 15, 1759 – February 1, 1824), was an Austrian musician and composer who lost her sight at an early age, and for whom Mozart may have written his Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat major.

Here is Sheku Kanneh-Mason performing at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Windsor
"Sicilienne" by Maria Theresia von Paradis




Chic Assignment no. 2: Enjoy the poetry of Robert Frost




Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, but his family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1884 following his father’s death. The move was actually a return, for Frost’s ancestors were originally New Englanders, and Frost became famous for his poetry’s engagement with New England locales, identities, and themes. Frost graduated from Lawrence High School, in 1892, as class poet (he also shared the honor of co-valedictorian with his wife-to-be Elinor White), and two years later, the New York Independent accepted his poem entitled “My Butterfly,” launching his status as a professional poet with a check for $15.00. Frost's first book was published around the age of 40, but he would go on to win a record four Pulitzer Prizes and become the most famous poet of his time, before his death at the age of 88. You can read more about Robert Frost from the Poetry Foundation.

Here is a great list of the 10 Best Robert Frost Poems Everyone Should Read



The Road Not Taken
BY ROBERT FROST
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


As for books, check out The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems Complete & Unabridged.


Selected Poems of Robert Frost: Illustrated Edition



Chic Assignment no. 3: Curate Your Seasonal Accessories As we head into fall, we are going to continue to switch out our capsule wardrobes. Let's also include accessories. Get intentional and thoughtful about what accessories you'd like to display this season: everything from boots to jewelry. I'll be doing many fall ten-item wardrobe videos on the channel for you to help you along the way.

Chic Assignment no. 4: Switch Out Your Seasonal Decor This is something you're likely doing anyway, whether you are rotating your throw blankets, or bringing in herbs from the garden to dry and preserve. I'll be doing a fall home decor video for you this month to get you in the mood for the upcoming season. Relish and enjoy the process.

Please note: My dress (new for fall!) is Draper James and my earrings are Ana Luisa use code Jennifer10 for $10 off.

News
📍This weekend I posted two videos that did not make it to the blog, including this day in the life. Be sure to be subscribed to my YouTube channel by hitting the red subscribe button, then clicking the bell to be notified whenever I upload a video.


📍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.

📍I am a featured speaker at the Get Organized HQ Summit with I Heart Planners. This is an online event and registration is free! Or get your all-access pass here.


On Instagram
Lessons from Madame Chic in Vietnam...


Comment of the Week
I am amazed at all of the fashion faux pas comments I am receiving from last week's post. There are so many, I must shoot a reaction video to them! :)

Here is just one of the funny comments. Susan writes, "Here's my story: I used to have a lovely pair of high heeled leather shoes, white with thin blue and pink stripes. I liked them but didn't wear them too often. The last time I wore them was for a lunch at work. Shortly after I put on the shoes, I noticed the edges of the soles were crumbling a little bit. "Oh no," I thought, "I guess I'll have to throw out these shoes, but at least I can wear them one more time." Well, within an hour of getting to work I had to go back home to change my shoes, because the shoes were crumbling around my feet! And as I walked to my car, I saw a trail of bits of my shoes that had come off as I had walked into the office. By the time I got home, the entire bottom of the shoes were gone and I was just walking on the insoles!

So let that be a lesson to us all, wear and enjoy your nice things often before they deteriorate!

Susan"


Susan, I am trying to picture this in my head and am just smiling. It is such a fear of mine that a shoe will break while I am out in public, haha! Thanks for sharing your dressing faux pas.


I hope you enjoy this month's Chic Assignment. Be sure to tag me on social media with the hashtag #TheChicAssignment or comment on here or YouTube to share your updates. I enjoy including your comments in the mid-month check-in.



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10 comments:

Dianna said...

I love this assignment! This is the piece that my violin teacher wants played at her funeral. I enjoyed watching the cello version you shared. And Robert Frost is the perfect poet for fall, I think. Thank you!

Donna said...

Love, love this September assignment!

Deborah said...

Hi Jennifer,
I love these assignments, can't wait!

On the fall decor, you are right, many of us do this, and I absolutely love doing it each season - sometimes even monthly for the table centerpiece or a dark corner on the kitchen counter, and especially when I crave a visual change when nothing is going on outdoors (winter).
I have really tried to "grow up" in my style, refraining from gaudy or "cheesy" stuff, or over-doing it until it's just clutter. Sometimes it's hard because there are SO MANY fun or lovely things and ideas to choose from!! And of course since I have no children here, that affects what I choose to use. Also, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that I have always admired your taste, and this fall decor video is no exception. (I don't think the velvet pumpkin table runner is juvenile AT ALL! Love it!)
I also tend to admire Hilary's taste in "Old World Home", and Mary's taste in "White Cottage Company. And while I don't actually mimic either style, both of these ladies have been inspirational to me as I learn my own style of decor.

So glad you took time for a little R&R. I hope you do it more often. Sometimes I feel guilty because I have so much discretionary time, then I see someone like you who is so busy and still does such an amazing job with everything, and contributes so much to so many lives. If I lived closer I'd offer to come help you with something or another! :)
God bless you!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Jennifer! I loved your afternoon off video, and the comment you made, "this is the most presentable it gets right now" was GOLD... I am almost 40 weeks pregnant and I have been barely making it out the door some days when I need to get to the store. It's been a lot of leggings and no make-up days... but I have reassured myself that "this too shall pass' and it's the most presentable I could get in the moment. I loved coming along on your afternoon off and love the new decor you picked out!

Megan said...

Thank you for this month's enjoyable introduction to this beautiful cello piece- and for sending me down the path of inquiry about the young cellist and the female 18th century composer! I really enjoy your organized approach to cultivating grace and awareness in the fine arts. Many of us do not make to time to approach cultivating a rich world for ourselves and our families due to the drum beat of ordinary family life. You remind me to stop and take myself and my life seriously without feeling grim!

One of your readers mentioned regarding Emily Dickinson that she purchased a book of poetry meant for children which intrigued me so I bought the same book and frankly adore the simple yet direct analysis of poetry. I want to recommend to any parent purchasing these inexpensive little gems of poetry. I had just purchased the Robert Frost and Carl Sandberg editions (Amazon $7 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140275471X/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1) when your September Chic Assignment landed in my inbox!

great timing! Happy fall and a special thanks to the many chic followers who also contribute and enrich my life with their thoughts and suggestions.

Kgirl said...

Loved the bonus self-care video and I feel so relaxed after watching it, so thank you! Could really see the difference just in your eyes after the massage -- you looked so soothed. It makes such a difference. Off to get a pedicure!

Frenchcaligirl said...

I love the music, especially on the cello. I remember it being played at the royal wedding and rewinding the recording so that I could hear it several times. It’s truly beautiful. Also enjoyed hearing some analysis about the Robert Frost poem. Your monthly assignments are enriching.
Thank you for all you do!

Weisserose said...

Dear Jennifer,
Thanks again for another wonderful monthly assignment! I am truly grateful to you for introducing me to so many interesting American authors, poets and artists.
All the best, have a great day,
WR

Amy said...

I love the violin version. Just hauntingly lovely! Thank you. I'm waiting till after September 23rd for autumn decor and clothing because I'm in denial. ;) I'm pulling out my Frost poems, though.

The Daily Connoisseur said...

Ladies, thank you for sending in your Chic Assignment findings! I will be doing the check-in soon and look forward to featuring some of your comments. I enjoy this series the most on the channel so thank you for being a part of that.

Jennifer xx