I have such a fun video for you today. I'm collaborating with Nikki Moreno from Inspired by Nikki to bring you 5 ways to add romance to your decor. Nikki has a wonderful and inspiring YouTube channel and she is a dear friend of mine in real life too! Nikki's decorating style is lovely and romantic and I can't wait until you see her tips too! Watch Nikki's video here.



Now, what do we mean by romance in decor? How can decor be romantic? Well, it's those little touches that add beauty, loveliness and charm to your surroundings.

Speaking of surroundings, I have written a poem for Nikki's channel that she is making a film of and that video is debuting tomorrow, so be sure to watch that too. It has been a fun, artistic collaboration all around!

Here are my 5 ways to add romance to your decor:



📖 Books I love to have beautiful and inspiring books in almost every room. If I have a free moment to sit down, I love to do so with a cup of tea and a great book. I like keeping books on poetry, interiors, artists, and inspiring people in our downstairs sitting rooms. In today's video I show you the book of poetry by Shelley (which will be a part of our April Chic Assignment). I also mention the Tasha Tudor book as well as my own Madame Chic books. I have been reading Mother Culture and loving it. I highly recommend this book for homeschooling moms.





🌹Flowers Our property is covered in beautifully established rose bushes and when the roses bloom, we have an abundance of fresh bouquets in our home. They add romance and fragrance and are simply divine! But in the off months, when we don't have fresh flowers, I like to use faux florals. I have used florals from Nearly Natural and I also love the decadently beautiful arrangements from Horchow.



🎵 Music When I am having "one of those days" or simply do not feel inspired to do anything, I always open the windows and put on some beautiful music. I prefer classical because it is stimulating to the mind, yet relaxing all at the same time, and oh so romantic! I mention the albums Porcelain and Beethoven at Bedtime in today's video. Porcelain was recently recommended to me by a reader and I'm loving it!


🕯 Natural Candles There is something about the flickering flame of a beautifully-scented candle that adds beauty to your surroundings. I recently did a comprehensive review of my favorite natural candles on Natural Home with Jennifer. In today's video, I'm burning Breathe Easy by Cellar Door Candles.



🍫 Chocolate Let's say the day is dragging on and you feel as though you are in despair. Forget the knight in shining armor, a dose of good chocolate will do the trick! (I'm only partially kidding!) I love having chocolate around the home. I have to hide it so that the kids (and Ben!) don't find it and devour it. Sometimes I hide it and then I forgot where I put it. Do you ever do that? Tell me I'm not alone! I like to put my chocolate almonds on this pretty antique silver dish I picked up at an estate sale in Santa Monica. It makes it so much fancier.

There you have my 5 tips for adding romance to your decor. I hope you enjoy today's video.

News
📍 A big thank you to those of you who are taking my new eCourse, How to be Efficient at Home.

Rosalie writes, "Thank you, Jennifer, for another inspiring course. Not only do you provide great, practical content, beautifully delivered, but you have also created a community of like-minded people. I think this will really help when the going gets tough - to know that I can come back, read the content and the comments and find tips, tricks and support. You have truly inspired me to "serve my family with a happy heart"."

Thank you, Rosalie! Yes, the course is accessible at any time. It's worth coming back and reading the comments on each lecture. They are truly great!

📍I love when people post about their ten-item wardrobe! Check out Robin from Faith and Flour for her week of outfits and Joy Forney for her ten-item wardrobe for spring/summer. These two ladies have done an excellent job of displaying how the ten-item wardrobe can work in real-life situations. If you share your ten-item wardrobe online, let me know and you could be featured on this blog!

On Instagram
Lucy Selgas, owner of Preserve Journals, who has always been so supportive of the Madame Chic books, has launched the kickstarter for her beautiful celebration journals. These journals are such a unique idea. They created a Celebration Journal— a beautiful, heirloom quality journal offering an intentional alternative to the greeting cards Mothers receive from their children. I have already pre-ordered mine. I can tell this is going to be an heirloom I will treasure from my children. Congratulations, Lucy!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Preserve Journals (@preservejournals) on Feb 28, 2019 at 12:16pm PST

Comment of the Week
On Monday's ten-item wardrobe video, Jodie writes, "Hi Jennifer. I’ve been following you for several years now and the capsule wardrobe is finally sinking in...I’m slow on change...if the tortoise can be a winner then so can I. Thank you for your amazing authenticity..."

Ha! Jodie, I loved your comment. I know that it helps for me to put out regular ten-item wardrobe reminder videos because everyone goes at their own pace. You can do it! And please report back to us and let us know how it goes.

Thank you for joining me today. I would love to know how you like to add romance to your decor. What are your tips for us? Let us know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur.



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I have the pleasure of interviewing Hilary from Old World Home in today's video.



Hilary has a wonderful YouTube channel where she shares her fantastic interior design tips. Hilary's classic American style is refreshingly curated through affordable thrift-store and second-hand finds. We have a fun discussion about interiors, parenting, marriage, YouTube and more. I hope you enjoy today's video.

News

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On the Debt-Free Course, Janis writes, "This is a really inspirational course and full of common sense ideas. See if you can get the BBC in Britain to be interested in running it as a series as it is a life changing course Jennifer! Thank you."

Thank you, Janis. I'm thrilled you enjoyed the course.

On Instagram
At Home with Madame Chic in Japan...

20180813 フランス人は10着しか服を持たない2 今の家でもっとシックに暮らす方法 ジェニファー・L・スコット 神崎朗子訳 洋書は1も2も自宅に置いてあるのですが(装丁がかわいいからインテリアにもなる！)、帰省したらこちらが本棚にあったので読むことに。 心にゆとりのある生活を意識してみようと思います。 #フランス人は10着しか服を持たない #フランス人は10着しか服を持たない2 #ジェニファーエルスコット #神崎朗子 #だいわ文庫 #大和書房 #Lessonsfrommadamechic #JenniferLScott #AkikoKanzaki #bestsellerbook #bestseller #プレミアムルルルン #ルルルン #あまおう #新発売 #九州限定 #Lululun #facemask #strawberry #Amaou #Fukuoka #limited #Kyushu #Japan #読書記録 #readinglog

A post shared by mn_booksgallery (@mn_booksgallery) on Aug 13, 2018 at 5:34am PDT

Comment of the Week
On last week's tour of our totally out-of-control vegetable garden video, Diane writes, "My mom every year makes ( meal in a pumpkin) cleans out the pumpkin stuffs it with a mixture of cooked rice, cooked ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, I think onion soup mix and maybe cooked mushroom. Then you put the lid back on pumpkin and cook in the oven until the pumpkin is really well done. the pumpkin browns a bit. Then you scoop out your rice serving by also scrapping a bit of pumpkin from the sides. It's so good and a real tradition in our family for harvest season."


Thank you for sharing your mother's recipe with us, Diane. I would like to try this! It sounds perfect for fall.

I hope you enjoyed my chat with Hilary today. I would love to hear your take on all of the topics we discussed. Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur. See you on Thursday!

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I recently posted a home tour featuring the downstairs portion of our home. Many people requested an upstairs tour as well, so in today's video, I'm sharing our master bedroom and bathroom with you.



I like to keep our master bedroom minimal and serene. Everything is cream and white, which makes for a nice background with the mossy/ taupe walls. You might remember that in our last home we put up wallpaper in the master bedroom. We would like to do the same here one day, but as for now, we are enjoying the neutral and muted color palette.



Our master bathroom is very large and light. It's a wonderful space to work with. I would love to update the bathroom one day with new, well, everything! Countertops, floors and backsplash. Maybe one day. Until then, I am enjoying it as it is.



The following items that are mentioned in today's video aide in creating an atmosphere of calm and relaxation in our room...



The Lëvoit air purifier is truly awesome. I've always wanted to try a purifier but was skeptical as to whether or not they actually worked. I can tell you after running this now for weeks that the air in our bedroom is markedly different than in the rest of the home. You step in and it's like the air is sparkling clean. I love the different settings you can set it to. I want to put one of these in each of our bedrooms now. Because of Amazon Prime Day, the Levoit purifier is heavily discounted. For more on Levoit, visit their website here.

The sound machine I have is the Brookstone sound machine. My husband gave this to me for Christmas this year and I love it. My favorite setting is thunderstorm and I turn it on every night.

The essential oil diffuser I use in conjunction with my doTerra oils, was purchased from my friend, Antoinette. You can find her information here. I generally like to diffuse lavender essential oil at night. It helps me relax and calm down after a long day.

I hope you enjoy the tour in today's video.

News
For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On the Ten-Item Wardrobe eCourse, Candice writes, "Hi Jennifer! Honesty time...I have known about the 10 Item Wardrobe for awhile, but I have always resisted committing. I definitely struggle to wear my best everyday. I am going through the course as a way to commit once and for all to making a change. I am also working through your financial course. Your books have always been such an inspiration and I am excited to make some changes, especially in my closet!!"


Candice, thank you for commenting for the first time. I applaud your desire to change! Check back in with us and let us know how your progress is going. We are rooting for you!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Today is Amazon Prime Day, which is a wonderful day to do your shopping and secure major deals on Amazon.

On Instagram
Lessons from Madame Chic and a lovely coffee...

“It was in Paris where I learned to taste wine properly. Appreciate perfume. Relish a there-hour dinner. Discover the nuances between different cheeses. Attentively listen to music and appreciate it. It was in Paris where my senses came alive, allowing me to extract pleasure from things I might never have paid attention to in the States.” #newyorktimesbestsellers #lessonsfrommadamechic #jenniferlscott #dailyconnoiseur #madamechic #libros #librosdeinstagram #instalibro #lectoresmexicanos #book #bookworm #bookstagrammexico #instabook #obsessedwithbooks #bookstagrammx2 #booksofig #bookphoto #igreads #bookcover #booklover #bookaddict #bookgram #instareads #bookaholic #bookstagram #bookphotography

A post shared by Bet (@beth_bau) on Mar 20, 2018 at 10:28pm PDT

Comment of the Week
On last week's Inspired by Nikki interview, Alexandra writes,
Hello Jennifer,

Thank you for introducing us to Nikki. I like her lovely, soft yin energy with her feminine decor, her love of ballet, her appreciation of silence, and how gorgeous she looks in grey. I will be taking a closer look at her blog.
I would like to suggest a couple of books based on the books you two mentioned. If you like "Material World", then I think you will love "In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World". Also, if you like the "The 5 Different Languages of Love", then you will adore "The Child Whisperer" by Carol Tuttle. This book discusses the four different energy types that children (and adults) can have and how to proceed accordingly.

Thanks again for the interview!
Alexandra

Hi Alexandra, you always have the most insightful comments. Thank you for those two book recommendations. I've linked them here for others to check out as well. I'm really interested in the cookbook sharing the recipes from grandmothers around the world. Thank you!

I hope you enjoyed today's master bedroom and bathroom tour. Today I would love to know how you decorate your bedroom. What do you have in your bedroom at night to help you unwind? Do you diffuse oils? Listen to sound machines? Just enjoy good old-fashioned silence? :) Also, do you use an air purifier? Let me know in the comment section below and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.

Visit my Author Website

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

To cap off last week's home tour videos, I am sharing one way I display faux flowers to make them look sophisticated and even real. I like to use leaf ribbon on the inside of a clear vase to make the arrangement look like it came from a florists' shop.



Of course there are many ways to display faux flowers. You can use glass pebbles, decorative opaque vases, and even acrylic water (which I have also done), but sometimes it's fun to use leaf ribbon to try to achieve the chic look from a florists' shop. I'm showing you how to use it in today's video with various vase shapes.





I usually get my faux flowers from Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Amazon and AFloral.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial in today's video.

News
I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day celebration. We had such a great day. I wanted to share this quote from Louisa May Alcott's, Little Women:



You have a few days left to enter my Ana Luisa Jewelry Giveaway. 3 lucky winners will receive the beautiful 'Olivia' earrings. Giveaway is for US residents only.

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On Instagram
Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic in Poland...

Dzień dobry w poniedziałek! Mam nadzieję, że udało Wam się zrobić w ten długi weekend tyle ile chcieliście, a jeśli nie wszystko to chociaż większość 😉 Dużo energii na dzisiaj Wam życzę! Pogoda jest piękna! 😍 #flamingo #ksiazka #madamechic #lekturadoherbatki #teatime #herbatkazksiążkąpl #herbatkazrana #notes #piekniejest #milegodnia #taca #bambus #kujonki #minimalizm

A post shared by Minimalistic Girl (@minimalisticgirlblog) on May 6, 2018 at 11:20pm PDT

Comment of the Week
Regarding last week's real and faux indoor plant post, DD writes, "I mix real and faux flowers in arrangements. A bunch of real lilies (inexpensive at the supermarket) in a big vase with several faux long, drooping stems of tiny orchid blossoms gives me an easy, beautiful, impressive arrangement for the entry or dining table. I've seen guests check them out and determine "real" when they see the lilies are real! Economical, beautiful, and easier to arrange and take care of than a big bouquet of varied real cut flowers."

Hi DD, what a great idea to mix real and faux in the same vase. I bet your arrangement looks spectacular!

Today, I would love to know if you use faux flowers when decorating. How do you like to display them in a vase? Let me know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog. See you on Thursday for a pregnancy chat video.



Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Thank you to everyone who watched Monday's home tour video. It was really fun to share our downstairs with you. Today, I'm discussing how we like to mix both real and faux indoor plants.



We do this for a variety of reasons. We have a six bedroom home, and because I like a bit of greenery and/or flowers in each room, I mix real and faux plants to keep maintenance down. Also, some rooms have less light than others and live plants don't work well there. With the plethora of realistic-looking faux plants on the market today, it's easy to create a totally natural look. I have purchased many of my faux plants from Hobby Lobby, Ikea, Amazon and Michaels.



I do not show every plant we have in this video, but I do show you a large selection. Be sure to watch the video to hear me discuss each plant in detail, including which ones are faux and which ones are real.

If you'd like to see a part two to this video, showing our faux plants upstairs, please let me know.

I hope you enjoy today's video.

News
Be sure to enter my Ana Luisa Jewelry Giveaway. You still have time to enter. 3 lucky winners will receive the beautiful 'Olivia' earrings. Giveaway is for US residents only.

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

Regarding the debt-free course, T writes, "Hi Jennifer,Thank you so much for this eCourse! Your blog and books have always resonated with me and this eCourse was no exception. I really appreciated your humility and realness. It felt like I was getting advice from a girlfriend which made it fun. The Investing and Entrepreneurship lessons were my favorite and gave me some much needed motivation. I want to say "thank you" to everyone who shared their stories and comments. I've always felt like the odd man out for being frugal. Knowing there are others on a similar path that are enjoying a debt free life and have found success with it is very validating and empowering. Thank you for all that you do and I look forward to what you have in store for us in the future!"


On Instagram
Madame Chic and breakfast in bed in Poland...

If you want...😊 #breakfast #inbed #sleepinthekitchen #whereisyourmanners #itsme💋 #całaja #the50s #retrogirl #retrodesign #vintagestyle #nostalgicart #pancakes #lekcjemadamechic #ąę #jenniferlscott #booklover #wydawnictwoliterackie #czytambolubie #czytanienieboli

A post shared by Hiacynta Bukietowa (@hiacyntabukietowa) on May 4, 2018 at 7:08am PDT

Comment of the Week
Today's comment is a testimonial from Dawn, who wrote to me about her experience with a budget ten-item wardrobe: "Dear Jennifer, Your books have enhanced my life immeasurably! Thank you so much for everything, but specifically your video on the budget ten item wardrobe and your reply to critics. While I read that one should buy "the best quality you can afford", I mentally applied this as "I should be able to afford expensive items or not purchase clothing". Hence, I only bought one $100 dress over the past several months. Your response to critics finally made the true meaning of your original quote click for me, and it was so freeing! We just completed an international adoption, so expensive updates are not an option. After watching your video I purged some summer items and purchased two updates from Zulily and Amazon; for about $30 total! Thank you for living authentically! Blessings, Dawn"

Hi Dawn, congratulations on the adoption! I'm so thrilled that the ten-item wardrobe concept has worked for you in all areas, including budget. There is no shame in not having a large budget for clothes. It even causes you to be more creative than you normally would be. Thank you for being a supporter of my work.

I would love to know... do you mix live and faux plants and flowers in your home? Why or why not? What are your tips and tricks? Leave us a comment and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog. See you soon!

Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter


FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.