“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” —Hans Hofmann Simplifying. Far different from minimizing, simplifying requires that we consciously explore what is of value in our lives and then thoughtfully edit in order for what we deem most important to shine as fully as possible. Take for […]
“Creating an environment in which you can have a greater sense of clarity and calm . . . The result is a mind that feels much calmer and clear.” —Andy Puddicomb Having an abundance of choices is a valuable asset and an extraordinary opportunity. However, unconsciously, when we don’t filter our seemingly unlimited choices, we […]
“Simplicity doesn’t mean easy.” — Alton Brown The beautiful truth of curating a life of simplicity and taking it one step further to a life of simply luxurious living is that it takes conscious effort. Ironically, creating a life of simplicity is not something that can occur with the snap of your fingers. I was […]
~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #184 ~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | YouTube ~Natural History Museum Ice Rink, London~ The holidays can be glorious and overwhelming at the same time, magnificent and demanding, joy-filled and draining. And since the holidays of Thanksgiving for Americans and a handful of religious and non-religious commemorations will take place in December for […]
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“It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” -J. K. Rowling ~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #62 Just as our muscles can become fatigued, so too can our minds. And when we bombard it with endless choices each day, much like using our smart phones excessively, the battery becomes drained […]
“Any darn fool can make something complex; it takes a genius to make something simple.” – Albert Einstein Welcome to Monday. A day that can either be loathed or loved depending upon what your week looks like or what job you are heading out the door to. The funny thing about Monday is that […]
Spring cleaning feels amazing when it is complete, but the initial getting started isn’t always as exciting. As a way to minimize how much I have to take on when this momentous event arrives each March and April, I am a big believer in cleaning my house every week without fail. However, as we know, […]
The holidays are officially upon us and whether you are celebrating Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza or anything in between, it is a time to be savored. And in order to make the most of this time, the need for simplicity has never been more pressing. Simplifying the holidays will create a season of fulfillment, laughter, […]
The third part in the Simplify Your Life series is a bookend to the two previous week’s five suggestions (Part I & Part II). Doesn’t eliminating all of the excess and the unnecessary clutter allow for more clarity, more freedom, and more time? I find myself less burdened with those things that I used to […]
The second week in The Simply Luxurious Life’s three part series on simplifying your life involves a few heavy undertakings combined with some suggestions that are quite simple to incorporate into your life. If you missed last week, click here to read up on the first five suggestions to simplifying your life and click here […]
One of the reasons I came upon the name The Simply Luxurious Life is because I truly believe that less is more, and quality must supersede quantity. One item of luxury doesn’t need any adornment. It simply draws attention completely on its own. With this in mind, why not bring a bit of simplicity into your life? […]
New French cuisine cookbooks, inspiration for paring down and amping up the quality of your life, fitness and health inspired books, a new series to take you into the growing of Floret’s Flowers, Frankie Drake returns, learn to let go of the burnout and embrace the goodness of living well, and oh, so much more. […]
Whether you are spending the holidays alone or in a smaller group of company, we have the opportunity for finding new rituals we may want to carry forward well after 2020. And even if we only want to indulge in new ideas temporarily as we weather the pandemic safely, this season is a wonderful time […]
Anticipation for the first ski of the season begins to simmer about mid-November when you realize that any first snow could mean the first ski is just the next day able to be enjoyed. And when that snow falls, the winter holiday season has begun in Bend. Even if sparse or no snow rests on […]
“When we speak a language that denies us choice, we forget the life in ourselves for a robotlike mentality that disconnects us from our own core.” —Marshall Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life Two lives may look like one another, but one may indeed be fulfilling, while the other a life of disdain and […]
Step inside a Parisian tastemaker’s new decor book, a French body & bath companies Friends & Family sale not to miss, cozy fall and winter capsule wardrobe items, cookbooks, cookbooks, cookbooks, a book I am especially excited to begin reading in preparation for digging up courage for making life changes, and much more. Books —Stay […]
Here we go! French finds galore! Oodles of books, cookbooks included, two French films that I highly recommend, a pop-up sale on French Brocante finds, an upcoming new series set in Paris on Netflix and well, that is just the beginning. Enjoy! Books —Forever Paris: 25 Walks in the Footsteps of Chanel, Hemingway, Picasso and […]
I am always looking for that nuance, that moment of truth, and you can’t really do that fast. —Paul Thomas Anderson, an American filmmaker For anyone who has felt rushed to take a side on anything throughout their life, look to nuance. For anyone who has been drawn to something but not exactly knowing why […]
Feeling good in our skin, literally, requires that we care for our skin. Knowing exactly how to tailor our skincare and beauty regimen to our specific skins needs, which as we know, evolves as we mature, is a dance with moves we must be taught, and in order to be taught, we must seek answers […]
Simple pleasures abound even and thankfully especially in the most unexpected times. The rains falls, spritzing, then pouring, being blown about, yet determined to water the yard and garden. The birds are aplenty dining at the cafe outside my window, and I am starting to get the hang of remote teaching. All reasons to celebrate. […]
“The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life. It’s so easy to make it complex.” — Yvon Chouinard It felt as though the Earth took a ginormous breath of relief (but will not admit that outloud) when the global decision to flatten the curve, stay home, began to take shape. Granted there were […]
Books —The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson A new year and if you are like me, strong and good health is always part of my new year’s resolutions. Bill Bryson’s The Body book is an informative guide to teach you how the amazing machine that is our body works, how it can […]
