I was recently given a set of antique china that belonged to my great-grandmother. The set is Syracuse China in the Briarcliff pattern, which was made in America, and dates back to the 1940s.

Because this set belonged to my great-grandmother, and then my grandmother, it is very special to me. We dined off of the china on Christmas day and have actually used it almost every day since. I love the delicate nature of the plates.

Immediately when I started to use the china, I noticed something very curious about the dinner plates. The area for food is much smaller on the antique plates, especially compared to my large, modern-day Pottery Barn dinner plates. Back in the 40s, plates were smaller and more delicate. Food portions were a lot smaller too.

This week's video shows you the difference between the antique china and modern-day earthenware plates and discusses the various unexpected merits of using your china daily. If you are unable to see my video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

This week I would love to know... do you have a treasured set of china in your family? If not, what type of set would you one day like to have?

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The new year always brings about inspirational ideas about getting our lives together- clearing clutter, eating healthful foods and getting fit are possibly the three main resolutions come January 1st. I recently had a request from YouTube viewer Gracia89 asking about my health and fitness routine and thought that this new year was an apt time to address the subject.

For those of you that have read my book, Lessons from Madame Chic, it probably will come as no surprise to you that fitness for me has nothing to do with weighing myself, counting calories or ‘feeling the burn’. I like to take a more holistic approach to fitness. For me, being physically fit means being of sound mind and body- being at peace, feeling healthy and most importantly not feeling stressed.

That is why the exercises I choose to do tend to have a moving meditation feel to them. I like yoga, qi gong and tai chi. Those exercises can be practiced at a gym, a studio or at home with a dvd. Along with those structured classes I also incorporate exercise into every day of my life as a lifestyle choice. Doing so has kept me fit and healthy my entire life.

To learn more about my fitness routine, watch the above video. If you are unable to see the embedded video click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Thank you to Gracia 89 for making this request.

Book News

A really great in-depth article was written by Irvine Traveller in the Hub Pages about Lessons from Madame Chic this past weekend. I love to hear what different people get out of the book and which lessons resonate with them. To check out the article, click here.

Also, Lessons from Madame Chic was mentioned on English blog, That's What Wendy Said. The book provided her with the inspiration to never leave her house looking like a 'shlub' (her words not mine!) :) To check out Wendy's blog, click here.

I would love to know… what is your fitness routine?


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I recently read The Park Avenue Diet: The Complete 7 Point Plan for a Lifetime of Beauty and Health by Stuart Fisher, M.D. This book has a really interesting concept. Rather than just talking about diet and exercise, it addresses the seven major components of one’s image: weight, fitness, hair, skin, clothing, self- confidence and interpersonal skills. The book draws upon experts in each field who purport that when making over your lifestyle, it is critical to address each of these image issues as a whole, rather than just focusing on one… and I have to say, the concept really excites me.

For example, what is the point of working hard to keep your body in shape if you have terrible hair? Okay that sounds really shallow, but let’s be honest… it’s true! There is no point really in having one without the other. Great wardrobe? It doesn’t mean a thing unless you also have self confidence to truly pull your style off.

The Park Avenue Diet uses an integrated approach to wellness. The book provides a brief introduction and general summary on the mastering of each topic, then outlines a 6 week program complete with recipes for a healthy diet, an at home exercise regime and key tips for keeping your inner and outer beauty in check (and by inner and outer beauty I mean everything from how to feel confident when making an entrance to how to give yourself the perfect blow dry).

The idea of working on one's total image (from diet, to hair to nails) can seem like a daunting task at first, but I believe it is just a switch of mindset. This really goes hand in hand with the French way of living. Keeping it simple, not obsessing over your weight or slaving away at the gym, but rather eating healthy food for pleasure, incorporating exercise throughout your day and taking care of all aspects regarding beaty.

I do wish the book explored each topic in greater detail (the tips were rather generic… I wonder if they’ll put out a sequel?) but I really enjoyed and appreciated the message as a whole.

The Park Avenue Diet is available on Amazon.com

Oh it rarely happens, but when it does... sheer misery!

But at least while I nurse this horrible cold I am in heaven reading the latest book from my favorite author Alexander McCall Smith: The World According to Bertie.



This is the fourth installment in the 44 Scotland Street series and it is as enthralling and endearing as the three before it.

I'm almost enjoying myself- but don't tell anyone!