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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Today I'm decorating one of our upstairs bathrooms. It's a very generic and plain bathroom, one I dream of redoing one day. I'm sure many of you can relate! Most of us have dreams of major remodeling or decorating renovations but simply can't afford the makeover.



I make the best of our plain bathroom by adding a few special touches.



Our countertop is very long and awkward to decorate. I break up the space by adding a taller floral arrangement.



I'm using a faux orchid centerpiece from Nearly Natural here because this room does not get enough light to house a real plant. There is a window, but we mostly keep it closed due to the neighboring house being so close. The cascading orchids add a beautiful touch to the countertop.



I like adding little "dressed-up" details like this handmade linen tissue box cover. Covering up the commercial packaging of necessary products helps to add a custom dimension to the space. By the way, I love using the bamboo tissues. This is Grove Collaborative's seedling line. I like that they are tree-free and don't waste so much paper. Also, here is a link to some other pretty tissue box covers on Amazon



I purchased this print on Etsy from AThingCreated. I love this print so much. It reminds me of the view of the buildings in the 16th arrondissement in Paris. I think I might eventually transfer this print to the guest bedroom, but for now, it is in this space. I purchased the gold frame from Amazon.



Also featured in the video is the shower curtain (which I still need to steam), the wooden soap tray, and the candle. The hand soap and dispensers are from Grove Collaborative. I really like their hand soap refill. Here is a link to the dress I'm wearing.

This bathroom is very neutral, but the creams and golds look pretty with the dark wood. I do enjoy the space when I walk in. I hope you enjoyed today's video.

I would love to know how you decorate a plain/ generic space in your home. Do you dream of renovating your bathrooms and kitchens? How do you make the best with what you have? Thank you for joining me today and I'll see you tomorrow on The Daily Connoisseur for my favorite natural candles of 2019.



Visit my Author Website

*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.

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FTC: This post is not sponsored. Some of the links are affiliate.

Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you to all of our veterans. Your service to our country is so greatly appreciated. We honor you today.

In today's video I'm showing how one neutral centerpiece can be the focal point for two different holiday table settings.



Thanksgiving and Christmas are rapidly approaching. Decorating for the holidays can be overwhelming. You might feel like you need to purchase a lot of seasonal decor to make your house look festive. Today, I show you how you can use the same standard basics in decorating and change out a few accessories to make an elegant seasonal look.



Here is our beautiful centerpiece. It's the snowball hydrangea candelabrum from Nearly Natural. Nearly Natural have the most beautiful and realistic selection of faux flowers and plants online. I selected two centerpieces from them and I am so impressed with their quality and appearance.



As I lay the Thanksgiving-themed table I share a lazy hack. (Who doesn't love a lazy hack?) I first place down a larger taupe tablecloth that is not ironed. On top of that, I layer a cream-colored textured tablecloth. I use my handheld steamer to take our the wrinkles. This is much quicker than ironing the cloth. Here is a direct link to the steamer I use.



This shows how the different textures and colors come together to create an understated, yet sophisticated fall table. My tablecloth is several years old, but here is a link to a similar style.



For the Christmas table, I use the same tablecloth, table runner, and rattan placemats. I add a pop of red with the cloth placements. I really enjoy layering different textures of linens when dressing the table.



I create a very simple napkin holder for the holiday napkins. I use a piece of festive ribbon to tie the napkins into a bow shape. So pretty and easy! I like using our blue and white dishes for Christmas.



This is the second centerpiece I selected from Nearly Natural. I placed this one on our entryway table. It is beautifully crafted and the vase with faux water gives it such a realistic look. When it arrived, the stems were straight up (for shipping), I had fun arranging the flowers to make it look natural in the vase.

Nearly Natural have generously given us a discount code. Take 20% off your order with the code CPJENN when you click on any of the links in this article. Thank you, Nearly Natural!

News
📍At Home with Madame Chic is now available in Vietnam. Don't you just love the cover?



📍Visit my Teespring store to see pretty Daily Connoisseur mugs and tote bags, which make a great holiday gift for fans of The Daily Connoisseur.

📍Check out my affordable eCourses, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living and Create Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe.


On Instagram
New Mommy Village shares her favorite concept from The Madame Chic books...

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Reading the Madame Chic series that first year, I came across this idea from #jenniferlscott. With baby and kids, there’s always lots to do daily... that’s why it helped me to remember this often. Not, “I’ll love my life when I go on a vacation” or “I’ll love my life when I lose “x” number of pounds”... No, how am I going to LOVE MY LIFE, TODAY 💕 Yes ladies, if you catch yourself going into a complaining mind, remember this, my beautiful Mommies🌟🌟 Happy Friday!! #findgratitudedaily #gratitudevideos #selfcareformoms #newmommyvillage

A post shared by New Mommy Village (@newmommyvillage) on Nov 9, 2018 at 7:50am PST

Comment of the Week
On last week's Etiquette Chat, Anon writes, "Your etiquette videos are my favorites too! This was really timely. Last year, I went back to work (albeit from home) after over a decade of being a stay at home mom. I was quite shocked at how things have changed, especially in terms of language and oversharing. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one experiencing this!
You're so right about letting your light shine. Sometimes silence and not participating in whatever is going on (gossip, language, etc.) speaks louder than anything else.
I really enjoyed all your books. Thanks for your wonderful blog!"


Thank you, Anon! I agree... sometimes letting your light shine is much more powerful than an admonition. Great point. Actions speak louder than words.

Thank you for joining me for today's video. I would love to know how you decorate the table for the holidays. What is your seasonal style like?


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FTC: This post is sponsored by Nearly Natural. Links may be affiliate.

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.



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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

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

I'm going to let you in on a surprising secret. I love to decorate with faux flowers! Silk and faux flowers have really come a long way and can look incredibly realistic. They can be wonderful for people who don't have access to a garden or who don't have the budget to constantly purchase fresh flowers, but who still love the look of a beautiful bouquet. I don't advocate only using silk flowers but a few tastefully done arrangements placed in strategic locations in your home (they are great for guest bedrooms or gloomy corners) can add so much flair and really trick the eye. Flower arranging is an art and there is no wrong way to do it so the novice need not feel intimidated.

I especially like to use silk flowers during the holiday season because I can create festive bouquets to brighten up the various rooms in our home (especially the bedrooms). In this week's video I show you several different bouquets, share my tips on how to make professional looking arrangements (leaf ribbon!) and create a fancy arrangement from scratch using floral foam. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or check out my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Here are pictures of some of the arrangements featured in the video:



And here are both sides of the arrangement I create on camera:



Many of the flowers are purchased from my local craft store. Others were purchased online from afloral.com (This is a great resource), including the leaf ribbon, which makes the arrangements look so professional.

News
I was honored to be interviewed on camera for Connie Martinson Talks Books. Check out my episode where we discuss At Home With Madame Chic and so much more.

Lafourche Library Books & Reviews gives At Home With Madame Chic a wonderful mention in their latest blog post.

Letters from Eurolux recommends At Home With Madame Chic for French style at home.

The Decadent Minimalist shares how At Home With Madame Chic has helped her.

Restyling Home by Kelly recommends At Home With Madame Chic as one of her favorite new decorating books.

Madame Chic Inspiring Thought
Spend less time in front of a screen and more time indulging in a hobby you love. Try your hand at flower arranging, even if you've never done it before. You'll be surprised how soothing and therapeutic it can be.

Comment of the Week
On my recent post, 5 Days of Outfits from my Ten-Item Wardrobe, Ottie writes:

This is my first season using the 10-item wardrobe. I have more confidence and stand taller. Putting more thought into wardrobe planning gives me more outfits that look sharp. I think I saved money on clothes this year too, but look better. More complements are coming my way too. It's fun deciding what to wear and looking good and presentable.

Ottie, I am very happy for you! I tell so many people who are hesitant (or who keep making excuses) to just try the ten-item wardrobe. Try it. You will be amazed at how it can change your life. If you have been hesitant, just take the plunge. Get ready to live differently in the upcoming new year.

Testimonial
On YouTube, Marcellina writes:

I just want to tell you I just finished lessons from madame chic and I could just cry! I feel like this book is what I've been needing my whole life! I wish I would've discovered this in my 20s (although the book didn't exist!). At the end of the book I felt like I was at that nightclub with you dancing, and eating that Camembert, and hearing the secret quartet! Thank you so much! I am going to start 2015 with a fresh outlook and I'm using your book as a guidebook for my life! 

Thank you Marcellina!

This week I would love to know... have you decorated with silk flowers recently? Do you like to use them in your home? What type of flower arrangements do you like to do for the holidays?



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