“I think sometimes people want to be so tasteful, that their rooms are instantly forgettable.” —Kit Kemp, British interior designer, episode #3 of The English Home podcast Let me begin by confessing I fell into the oft defaulted-to choice Kit Kemp describes above. In the house I owned prior to Le Papillon and lived in […]
In just one week’s time, a new season, Season 8, of The Simple Sophisticate podcast will begin. Already, my bookstand is full of titles that have piqued my interest to compile into podcast episodes to inspire, inform and motivate you to cultivate your own unique simply luxurious life. Below is a visual of the entire […]
Sandra Oh stars in the new comedy series co-created by Amanda Peet, and it is a hit. The Chair. Typically, the Petit Plaisirs here on TSLL are paired with a new podcast episode (The Simple Sophisticate), but I could not wait to recommend a series as I know many readers and listeners step back into […]
What a week! With 15 posts, eight giveaways presented, and the most engagement we’ve had ever during TSLL’s Annual event celebrating all things French, I just want to thank you for joining in a week of festivities. French Week has become one of my favorite weeks of the year to be reminded of so many […]
The difference between a cook and a chef welcomes many different opinions, but when I heard Christopher Kimball of Milk Street’s definition distinguishing between the two, I took note. He enumerated a few more contrasts, but these three stood out in my mind and stuck in my memory, primarily because they make sense. Often the […]
If you’re already a subscriber, please log in. Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password Thank You… . . . for your interest and curiosity to explore further this particular post on TSLL. Unfortunately, you do not have access to view this page. One of two things has occurred: You are either a TSLL […]
Touches of Provence, finds from Paris, treasures from the brocantes in France. Ten years ago Susannah and Hugh Cameron visited Provence for the first time from Australia, and well, the dream of a new life in the south of France had been born. My introduction to Chez Pluie happened during my trip to Provence in […]
The last eleven+ years here on TSLL blog has connected readers from around the world, of all ages, all genders, various work/life stages and chapters, a variety of incomes and oodles of wonderful life experiences. Over the past eleven months, an intimate gathering meets up online for our A Cuppa Moments video chat right here […]
From the effortless, timeless sartorial style, sage skincare wisdom, deeply rooted expertise in the kitchen, approach to savoring the gifts the terroir offers each season in food and wine – these reasons and so many more are why I gravitate toward the French culture. Perhaps the most beloved reason is the pace of everyday life […]
The word itself, simple, communicates a life to savor. With the pop of the pronounced ‘p’ adding a light-heartedness and the etymology of the word (while being interpreted a variety of ways) referencing free from duplicity, offering a sincerity of one thing folded onto itself, my interpretation is a deepening of something intentionally chosen. As […]
The return of a favorite comedy series, a sale on the classic French Breton stripes, a new film inspired by a true story, the kick-off of the Olympics, books for décor guidance, working with Mother Nature in your backyard, inspiration for living well, and a simple, yet must-have beauty item for your daily routine. Yep, […]
A quote I have held on to throughout my life, attributed to Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism states, “Do not seek sanctuary in anyone except yourself.” Many people have taken his words and applied them in slightly different ways, and with much contemplation, much time on my own, as well as a […]
If you’re already a subscriber, please log in. Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password Thank You… . . . for your interest and curiosity to explore further this particular post on TSLL. Unfortunately, you do not have access to view this page. One of two things has occurred: You are either a TSLL […]
“Throughout our development, we form adaptations to cope or deal with pain and fears. Yet these adaptations, which initially served as survival mechanisms, later come to limit us.”—Lisa Firestone, author of Conquer Your Critical Voice (2002) It takes 27 days for our skin to replace itself, to be fully exfoliated, revealing the new skin – […]
“Life becomes simpler when our lives become calmer.” —Andy Puddicombe With the first sighting of the word luxury or luxurious, the collective default tends to be toward excess. After all, the history of the word, stretching back to its Latin roots doesn’t exactly have a benign connotation. The word has morphed and been tweaked regarding […]
Lemon. Refreshing. Palate cleansing. Satiating and full of summer lightness. Last weekend, I stepped into my kitchen amidst a sweltering heat wave (or heat dome as they are informing us), and made a dessert that had been tempting my tastebuds for a couple of days. Finding the recipe created by Odette Williams (check out her […]
The final week of school, the conclusion of my teaching career, the end of the most unpredictable school year if there ever was a predictable one, comes to a close this Friday. Summer awaits our full attention as stepping into the upcoming new season feels more of a gift for surviving rather than a regular […]
“The pandemic represents a rare but narrow opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world.” —Klaus Schwab, author of The Great Reset (July 2020) While a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the global population of today, pandemics are not new, and therefore, have been studied to mine many insights whether socially, economically, culturally and of course medically. […]
What a week of celebration and conversation. I want to extend a tremendous thank you to everyone who stopped by this week to celebrate all things British. This yearly tradition has continued to be one of my favorite weeks here on the blog, and while I am a bit bleary-eyed from the immense screen-time, it […]
If you’re already a subscriber, please log in. Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password Thank You… . . . for your interest and curiosity to explore further this particular post on TSLL. Unfortunately, you do not have access to view this page. One of two things has occurred: You are either a TSLL […]
Twinings . . . my everyday black English tea. Walkers’ shortbread cookies, my weekly biscuit nibble with my afternoon tea. Pottering in the garden with my pups curiously wandering amongst the plants, a Sussex trug usually slung over my forearm. Settling in for an evening of watching an episode of Midsomer Murders or [insert your […]
If you’re already a subscriber, please log in. Username Password Remember Me Forgot Password Thank You… . . . for your interest and curiosity to explore further this particular post on TSLL. Unfortunately, you do not have access to view this page. One of two things has occurred: You are either a TSLL […]
As a high school teacher, if there is a shift in sartorial preferences collectively in the culture at-large, the teenagers’ attire communicate the news en masse. As of late, the jean trend of looser, high-waist designs ushered out the skinny jeans style which held its grip on the popular culture for nearly 15 years if […]
“Flourishing really is what people are ultimately after. It’s living the good life. We usually think about flourishing as living in a state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good — it’s really an all-encompassing notion.” —Tyler J. VanderWeele, an epidemiology and biostatistics professor and director of Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program For four […]
