August

We are August in the midst,

Ending now our summer tryst.

Luscious things dying away,

Mounting heat that still persists.

Turn we now to Autumn fare,

Flowers in a vase to share.

Dreaming of a cooler time,

And crisp scents that fill the air.

Though summer’s lease is up soon

Seems like we were just in June.

Florals that can capture love,

Teatime in the afternoon.

August, you were kind to me,

Comfort when my heart did plea,

Ushering me to the Fall,

Like a welcome cup of tea.

-       Jennifer L. Scott

We start with a look at the new Cole & Son wallpaper in the dining room. Here is the before...

... and here is the after.  

The wallpaper is by Cole & Son. It is the Winter Birds in the shade, Linen.

Before I do some flower arranging, I'm going to make my final summer pie for the year: the classic strawberry pie. 

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Summer Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust for a single pie
• 1 egg (for egg wash)
• 4 cups whole strawberries, hulled
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbs cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1- 2 Tbs confectioner's sugar

Instructions

1. Roll out your pie crust and place in a deep dish pie pan. Trim, poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork, and brush the fluted edges with egg wash. Place pie beads in the bottom of the crust. Bake your pie crust at 400 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, until done.
2. Place one cup of the hulled strawberries in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. In a sauce pan, add the pureed strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch mixed with water. Whisk over medium to low heat until the sauce becomes thick. 
3. Arrange the rest of the strawberries in the pre-baked pie crust. Pour the hot strawberry sauce over the pie. Allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 
4. Whip the heavy cream and confectioner's sugar until fully whipped. Serve a dollop of whipped cream on top of the pie. Enjoy. 

And now for the flower arranging. I like to consider the room the arrangement is going in. That will determine height and color. 

I'm doing an elegant and understated bouquet for the dining room to match the neutral tones of the space.

The kitchen will have this beautiful purple bouquet, composed of mums, roses, and lavender. The purple in the bouquet brings out the blues in the cabinets. 

And finally, it's time to tea. Time to enjoy the scrumptious strawberry pie, with whipped cream and PG Tips... Bliss.

⚜️Featured in the video

I hope you enjoyed this season finale on The Daily Connoisseur. 

"August" is an original poem by Jennifer L. Scott. All rights reserved. 

News

📍Jennifer is featured in My French Country Home Magazine in the July/ August issue. 

📍Jennifer is featured in Fatherly Magazine in an article on children's table manners. 

📍Please note: the blog will be under construction and moving to Wordpress very soon. I'll make the announcement with more details as soon as I can. Those of you who get this blog delivered into your email might see a temporary pause in email notifications. Thank you for your patience. 

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Christina writes, "This video was literally a breath of fresh air for me today. It seems I run into more and more people ready to jump straight into controversy over something I don't agree with, or sometimes I don't even know the reason they are just on edge when I meet them. It's hard sometimes to be patient and non-judgemental when there are people who go into attack mode so easily. It is in my nature to be a peace-maker, but I don't always know how to do that. Your video on remaining unbothered has motivated me to not give in or give up. You gave me some good ideas to try, good words to remember and work with. Plus, it is very encouraging to be reminded there are a lot of people, like those who follow your channel, being "elegant"! Thank you!"

Thank you, Christina! Yes, tensions are high right now and it can be hard to deal with some of the attitudes and tempers out there. I'm happy the video gave some good coping mechanisms. 

I hope you all enjoyed this last video and blog post of August. Thank you for your support of my channel. I hope you have a lovely rest of the summer too and I'll see you back in September! 

Love,

Jennifer 

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Welcome to The Chic Assignment Check-in for June, 2021. We are going to learn more about George Handel, Frida Kahlo, and much more. I'm also reading your poetry today. 

Chic Assignment no. 1 Enjoy Handel's Largo from Xerxes 

A beautiful and hauntingly enigmatic piece, Handel's Largo from Xerxes performed by Hauser will astound you. Today we are learning more about George Frideric Handel, and his illustrious career from the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale. 

Welcome to the first Chic Assignment of 2021. I look forward to restarting this series and exploring some amazing artists this year.

Chic Assignment no. 1 Rachmaninoff Prelude in C Sharp Minor (Op. 3 No. 2) 

I have always been intimidated by Rachmaninoff. As a (very very amateur) pianist, I looked at my great grandmother's Rachmaninoff pieces and couldn't even fathom playing them. Even though they might be unattainable to the amateur musician, we can still enjoy his works. This month we are diving into this performance of Prelude in c sharp minor (Op. 3 no. 2) performed by Rousseau. We will dive into the biography of Rachmaninoff in the mid-month check-in. 

Self-Portrait, 1929

Folk Family, 1944