I loved watching Old Hollywood movies when I was a kid. The 30s and 40s seemed like more than a different era, but a different world. A world where people dressed up, wore hats and gloves and had a natural air of elegance about them. Times have clearly changed and now fashion has become much more casual. So casual, in fact, that women can sometimes feel overdressed when they are simply dressed nicely.

Reader Janki sent me a question about how to overcome feeling like you are overdressed. My answer is in this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Madame Chic in China


Lessons from Madame Chic debuts in simplified Chinese this week. I just love the cover, so feminine and exotic. I'm looking forward to connecting with my Chinese readers!

Testimonials

I love to hear how Lessons from Madame Chic has inspired you. This testimonial comes from Geramyum, who writes:

Your book has lead me to really analyze so much more than my wardrobe. Just in the last few weeks I've gone over my kitchen and bathrooms as well. I have to say I'm starting to feel freed up. Why do I keep all these towels that I cringe when I look at them? Why do I have three jars of pickles? Why do I keep these socks I haven't worn in five years? WHY!? I can't even come up with an answer except that I feel guilty getting rid of stuff. But the "stuff" is making me crazy. I'm thinking and taking my time with purchases and waiting to make sure of what I want and NEED. I'm being mindful. Mindfulness is not natural state for me, but everyday I try. Please continue on your crusade.

Thank you Geramyum!

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In this installment of reader questions answered, I'm addressing a question that I get all the time: Jennifer, don't you get bored with your capsule wardrobe?

The short answer is no.

And the long answer... well it has a lot to do with our constant need for variety in our modern society. If you find yourself constantly feeling 'bored' with your clothes, it might be time to question your thought process and revive appreciation for what you already have.

Curious to hear more? Check out this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

What are your thoughts on this subject? I would love to know...

Testimonials

I love getting messages from readers who tell me how Lessons from Madame Chic has helped them. I think you'll get a kick out of this one from Emily M. who wrote to me on Facebook:

Good Morning! I have a story for you that shows how your book is influencing complete strangers' lives...My aunt gave me your book for Christmas, because she knows how I love the French and their way of life and thought this would be a fun read. I took a lot from it, reminisced about my own time in Paris, but the one that hit me the hardest was the china! The more I thought about it, the sillier I felt...only using it on special occasions and for company, but not my own children/husband who are the most important people to me in the world! Anyway, I started Sunday night dinners for us (my kids are ages 8, 7,4, 10 months) in the dining room, (French food of course) china and all. We are having so much fun and the kids really look forward to their fancy Sunday dinner with French BREAD (a must). If that weren't enough, I saw a contest for "The Family that Breaks Bread Together, Stays Together...Tell us your Story" sponsored by a regional bakery here on the East Coast. So, I entered our Sunday night story which we have done consistently for six months and we won! I now get free weekly bread deliveries and they are filming us for a commercial! I'll send it to you after they film it in July. I thought you should know how you have inspired my family and to say quite simply, thank you!

Congratulations Emily! We are so happy for you and your family!

If you would like to share how Lessons from Madame Chic has inspired you, please send me your testimonial. I'd love to share your story on the Daily Connoisseur...

Next week Reader Questions Answered continues as I discuss 'feeling overdressed' and more. See you then! x

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Thank you for your great response to last week's video, What's in my Fridge? I really enjoyed reading what food you keep in your home. I'm going through a whole reinvention process with how I cook, feed my family and organize the kitchen (which, of course, I'll share with you in the future) and it was fun for me to do the video.

To continue the theme of home tours, today's video shows you my patio garden. I keep container plants: roses (Mr. Lincoln and Double Delight— my two favorite!), camelia, jasmine, geranium and vines. I find with container plants that frequent fertilizer is necessary for them to thrive. I use an organic plant food from my local garden center.

Our patio space is compact but we get a lot of enjoyment from it. The scent from the jasmine and roses is quite strong this time of year and wafts into our bedroom like perfume— it's really lovely.

If you are unable to see the above video, which includes an appearance from Gatsby, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Have a wonderful week x


♥ Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families affected by the shootings in Santa Monica last week. Santa Monica is a beautiful place to live and we feel devastated that these horrible acts of violence have touched us here. We won't let it get us down, however. We will rise above it and continue to thrive in our beloved little seaside town ♥

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Going into the weekend, I wanted to share some exciting book news with you...

Ciao Italia



Le Lezioni di Madame Chic was published in Italy last week by Piemme. Ciao Italia! I'm enjoying hearing from my chic Italian readers and look forward to connecting with you more in the future!

Anthropologie


Walking into my local Anthropologie yesterday, I was so proud to see Lessons from Madame Chic displayed on their front table alongside Ines de la Fressange's Parisian Chic. Back in the beginning when I was trying to get my book published, a literary agent told me it would never happen because Ines' book had just been published. So glad I didn't listen to that advice... there is clearly room for both. Please let this be a reminder to all of us to follow our dreams— no matter how many people try to dissuade you. Thanks to my facebook friends for all of your encouraging feedback and support!

Vanity Fair

Lessons from Madame Chic is described as teaching 'subtle panache' in July's issue of Vanity Fair in an article that discusses the French woman genre phenomenon. It's an interesting article and a great mention. On newsstands now!

Have a wonderful weekend... See you next week! x

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In this week's video I show you the contents of our refrigerator on a typical weeknight. We are a family of four with my husband, my toddler, my baby and me (oh yes, and Gatsby!), so the contents of the fridge reflect all of our likes. For example, my husband loves the Skippy smooth peanut butter and won't have anything else. Same with the Yoplait yogurt... I have a few musts as well.

You'll also notice the Bio-K probiotics I have. I find that since I started drinking this friendly bacteria my digestive health has seriously improved. Also worth noting are our two drawers of vegetables. We receive a vegetable box once a week delivered fresh from our local farm (Farm Fresh To You for those of you in Los Angeles). I love getting creative with ways to cook the seasonal veggies.

At the time of shooting this video there is no meat in the fridge. We usually eat meat (fish, chicken or a roast- a must for my husband!) around three times a week and I try to buy it as fresh as possible.

Another thing to note is I usually prefer to make my own pie crusts but on busy weeknights it is nice to have a pre-prepared one handy for making savory tarts or that strawberry pie...

If you are unable to see the 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... What's in your fridge?

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You know how it is at the end of a very long day when you feel like you just can't go on. You just want to watch your favorite show or read a book or just go to sleep. But the problem is that the mess from dinner hasn't quite been cleared up yet... and the living room could probably do with a once-over...

Usually at the end of even a very long day I can commit to 15 minutes of tidying up. I know that if I clear away everything tonight that tomorrow I'll wake up to a tidy house, which will then, in turn, set me on the right foot for the day. If I leave the mess, I know I'll have to wake up to last night's dishes and a disheveled living room. And if I'm having to deal with yesterday's mess, I just feel like I'm playing catch-up the whole day. I reason with myself that 15 minutes isn't too long and sooner than I know it I'll be on my way to doing something I really want to do that evening.

The marvelous thing is, you will surprise yourself with how much you can actually accomplish in 15 minutes! Many times I'll feel like I've been cleaning for ages and I'll look at the timer to find I have 8 minutes left. Try it... the next time you unload the dishwasher you'll see it actually takes only 3 minutes (instead of the hour it feels like).

I learned this technique from Anthea Turner's Perfect Housewife series and the FlyLady blog. You must try it the next time you are feeling overwhelmed with tidying your home.

For more on this topic, check out this week's video, 15-Minute Tidy. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

♥ Wishing you a happy Memorial Day and giving thanks to all of our military men and women who serve our country, both past and present. We appreciate you ♥

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I hope you had a great weekend! This week's video discusses three different beauty topics that are on my mind:

Pür Minerals
Pür Minerals sent me their 4n1 Pressed Mineral Powder to review. It's great! It provides full coverage and is packaged in a pretty little compact made of recycled materials— perfect for when you are on the go.

Hair after baby
I've experienced hair loss after having both of my children. The fine baby hairs around the crown of my head are particularly hard to style. (*Update* Thanks to all of my YouTube viewers who have already provided helpful suggestions such as putting a small amount of hairspray on a boar bristle brush to smooth the flyaways and using clear mascara. I will try both techniques... thank you!)

Glowing Green Smoothie
For breakfast lately I've been drinking Kimberly Snyder's glowing green smoothie. Kimberly is the author of The Beauty Detox Solution and Beauty Detox Foods. Even though I am not a vegan I really enjoy her books because I appreciate her healthy recipes. And I tell you, this smoothie makes me feel fantastic throughout the day. I can't recommend it enough!

To hear more about these beauty topics, check out this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Book News

♥ The Independent Florida Alligator writes about Lessons from Madame Chic in an article called, Eating well: The Chic way.

♥ Lessons from Madame Chic is now available at Anthropologie (so happy about this... I love their selection of books!)

See you soon! x

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I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! Last week was very special for us as we celebrated our youngest daughter's first birthday. I can't believe the year has flown by so quickly. We marked the occasion with delicious food, homemade cupcakes and a puppet show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Here is a picture of the buffet table. For flowers I arranged a lilac and hydrangea bouquet. It was fragrant and abundant and perfect for spring.



What you can't see in the picture are the pink streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. I was in a bit of a rush that day to get everything ready on time and did not think to take a picture!



For the cupcakes I made a simple vanilla cake recipe and this homemade strawberry frosting, which turned out to be so delicious. It takes a little bit of effort but is well worth it to have an all natural frosting. The strawberry flavor from this recipe is delicate and velvety. I made both the cupcakes and frosting the day before, kept them sealed and separate until the following day, then I frosted them right before the party began. (I refrigerated the frosting only.)

I also made tea sandwiches: smoked salmon with herbed cheese and cream cheese cucumber, and had assorted salads available. Even though the food looks elegant and grown-up, it was all very kid-friendly! We used paper plates and napkins decorated with fairies...

Here is a picture of Goldilocks in the puppet show, which was performed by Puppet Theater on Wheels . (I love puppet shows. Remember the one I saw on the barge in Richmond Upon Thames?)




And finally, a photo of the hydrangea bouquet a few days later. I change the water in the vase every day to make the arrangement last as long as possible.



As the years go on I'm having more and more fun planning these parties. It was a wonderful gathering and most important, our baby really enjoyed it... which is all that matters!

News

♥ Check out this great article in Rebellious Magazine called Creating a Mom-drobe Part 1. In the article, Megan Cottrell tries out the ten-item wardrobe for herself.

♥ Lessons from Madame Chic is mentioned on My Life in Focus blog in an article called Paris AND New York.

♥ I posted my ten-item wardrobe for spring video on Huffington Post Style and it has received a great response from the community! In the article I also answer the question: do Parisians actually call it a ten-item wardrobe?


I hope you have a wonderful week. See you soon! x

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