The new year rolls around and there is much talk about resolutions and cultivation of a life we wish to live. It is old news to share that many resolutions are unfulfilled; however, BJ Fogg argues that perhaps we have had a faulty instruction manual to be successful in our pursue of lasting change. Released […]
While it may appear that everyone outside of ourselves is living lives full of amazing, surreal moments from distant lands or dining out at amazing restaurants, even wearing the perfect item of clothing or experiencing bucket list events with every scroll on our social media apps, the reality is that we too are living an […]
“Success is sequential, not simultaneous. No one actually has the discipline to acquire more than one powerful new habit at a time. Super-successful people aren’t superhuman at all; they’ve just used selected discipline to develop a few significant habits. One at a time. Over time.” —Gary Keller & Jay Papasan from their best-selling book The ONE Thing: […]
~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #114 One of the most popular requests from readers for topics to discuss here on TSLL blog and the podcast is time management, especially my approach to time management. And while I do not profess to have figured it out, as I am regularly tweaking it and the onset of unnecessary […]
“The best way to conquer self-doubt is to follow your dream and work your ‘bass’ off.” – CBS Sunday Morning speaking of musician Meghan Trainor ~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #93 The highs in life that we each experience from landing the job we’ve been coveting for years, celebrating a hard-earned diploma, signing the papers on […]
~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #69 Seeing effortless style in-person can be quite powerful, and part of the impactful punch is how the person carries themselves in the clothes they wear. In mere minutes it is evident if the clothes are wearing the person or visa versa. Having the opportunity to have worked and currently work […]
“A knife can be used both to heal and to hurt. Whether in the hands of a surgeon or the hands of a criminal it’s the same instrument. Tools are seldom good or bad per se. It’s what you do with your charisma that matters.” -Olivia Fox Cabane, The Charisma Myth The Simple Sophisticate, episode […]
~The Simple Sophisticate podcast, episode #17 One of the popular maxims when it comes to life advice is that lessons repeat themselves until they are learned. And while I’ve heard this before, I always felt there was a negative tone to the reappearance of a life lesson that we had experienced before. As if to […]
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” –Aristotle With all of the bits and pieces of information we have to remember on a daily basis, relying on habits that require our minds to “just go with it” is a relief – that is of course if the […]
{A simply luxurious life, while full of the concept less is more, luxuriates in the decadence of high quality, complementary style and an appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us in decor, fashion, nature and people themselves. One does not need to maintain a balance in the bank that one might associate with a millionaire, […]
Books to inspire a healthy, long life, a new art exhibit at Musée de Luxembourg, the return of two favorite series – one reality, one a cosy murder mystery, the perfect gift for the cheese lover, the premiere of a new mini-series starring Lily James, Monty’s new and updated ultimate gardening book, items for your […]
Films, books, classic spring capsule wardrobe items, unique and signature items for the home, an abundance of British-finds as TSLL’s 3rd annual British Week is only a few weeks away and still there is much more. Books —How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by […]
A book to change your next life choice and elevate the quality of your one and only journey, two cookbooks – one French inspired and one from a beloved British cook, an Indie film which received high praise at Sundance this year (and what I am looking forward to watching this weekend), items for your […]
“Life begins with breath, breath carries you through your days, and life and breath end together . . . We measure our lives not by how big or small our impact is, but by how we make people feel. We use our time to establish how we will live on, through giving love and care, […]
Spring clothing items to brighten your wardrobe, a cookbook full of non-recipes, France is found in a variety of places – television, books, cookbooks and more, the documentary many people have been eager to watch, and still so much more. Books —28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand Released last summer to tens of thousands of positive […]
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Spring is nearly here, so gardening is on the mind! So too are spring outfit item ideas, a French film to enjoy with wonderful acting, a biopic of a beloved singer, novels to take us to the past with similar parallels of the present, a delightful fun read about wine and much more. Books —Discovering […]
The pace of our everyday lives slowed unimaginably and unexpectedly nearly a year ago, but for many of us our minds have kept their ferocious pace. Almost as if the mind was the conveyer belt of chocolates in the now iconic I Love Lucy episode continuing at robotic pace unconcerned with the response to the […]
“The lack of meaning in our lives stresses us out, but too much stress makes it harder to find meaning.” —Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, author of The Stress Solution Yesterday, for the entire day, aside from letting my pups outside from time to time and feeding them, I wallpapered. I turned on old British cosy mysteries […]
Immersion is best, but when immersion is not possible, brushing up while at home on our French as we wait for the opportunity to walk stand firmly on the terra firma of the land of croissants is the next best thing. All of this is to say, the key is to make the learning enjoyable. […]
Halfway through the seventh season/year, The Simple Sophisticate podcast is nearing 300 episodes, and as we step into 2021, look for more episodes to offers inspiration, ideas and insight into how to live simply luxuriously. Moving into the new year, look for two new episodes each month – the first and third Mondays – and […]
“I think contentment the greatest wealth.” —George Shelley Eleven years ago today, true contentment in my life was absent. Unconsciously, when I began writing in the space that became TSLL on December 26, 2009, it was my hope that the recipe I sought would reveal how to cultivate and nurture and welcome into my everyday […]
Oodles and oodles of books on all sorts of wonderful topics – cheese, wintering, snuggling in, Paris, Shakespeare and more. Music from Melody Gardot, two films receiving great acclaim and Oscar-worthy buzz, holiday music and lovely touches for the home. And of course, much more. 🙂 Books —Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Repeatedly included on the […]
Holiday festive finds from gifts for French wine lovers, ornaments, tours of British homes during the holidays, as well as fantastic finds regardless of the season – two rom-coms, one musical, a new book for helping usher in the transformation you seek, learn more about royal train travel, and that’s just the start. There’s so […]
