Francophiles! Polish your French or begin to learn the language of the culture you love from a highly recommended language school, a new cookbook from a favorite Great British Bakeoff stand-out, a new series on AppleTV receiving great buzz, books about flowers and novels to intrigue as well as a book from a British author focused on eating well simply. Also, clothing for summer, fantastic sales on items for fall, and vintage décor finds to delight. And yep! Much more!

Books

—Blooming Flowers: A Seasonal History of Plants and People by Kasia Boddy

Traveling through the seasons and touching on all of the blooms associated and seen during each one, Kasia Boddy’s book Blooming Flowers pairs illustrations with historical information beginning centuries ago and from across the globe looking at the “wealth of floral associations that have been passed down in perfumes, poems, and paintings; in the design of buildings, clothes, and jewelry; in songs, TV shows, and children’s names; and in nearly every religious, social, and political ritual. Boddy also “considers how the sunflower, poppy, rose, lily—and many others—have given rise to meaning, value, and inspiration throughout history, and why they are integral to so many different cultures.”

—Counterfeit: A Novel by Kristin Chen

Released this past June and recommended by many newspapers and magazines including The New York Times Book Review, Kristin Chen’s novel Counterfeit has been described as “a stylish and feminist caper with a strong point of view and an axe to grind. Peering behind the curtain of the upscale designer storefronts and the Chinese factories where luxury goods are produced, Kirstin Chen interrogates the myth of the model minority through two unforgettable women determined to demand more from life.”

—Simply Good For You by Amelia Freer

Upon listening to an interview with author and renowned nutritional therapist,Amelia Freer recently, I quickly became curious about her cookbook Simply Good For You which was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller. Sharing 100 recipes that are quick, easy and “quite simply, good for you” if you are trying to figure out how to elevate not only how you feel but also enjoy your food, this is a book for you.

British Finds

—A Good Day to Bake: Simple Baking Recipes for Every Mood by Benjamina Ebuehi

In 2016, Benjamina Ebuehi nearly made it to the quarterfinals of the Great British Bake-Off, and along the way, she became a baker to love. In her new cookbook A Good Day to Bake, released this past March, she shares 70 recipes each embracing “simplicity, mindfulness and the therapeutic comforts of baking.” I had a chance to flip through this cookbook recently and found myself wanting to try nearly every recipe I flipped to. I had to restrain myself from purchasing it as it was not on my list whilst at the grocery store, but I knew for sure I wanted to share it with you.

—Vintage Striped Wooden Table Lamp, handmade

Décor & Garden

—Create Academy, 20% off courses (month of August)

If you have had your eye on any of the now more than a couple of handful of masterclass courses available through Create Academy, August would be a perfect month to purchase them because they are now 20% off. AND because once you purchase the course, it is yours forever, don’t feel you have to take the course in August if you don’t have time. Watch it when you do and save some money along the way. Having thoroughly enjoyed Rita Konig’s interior design course in 2020 (the first course that Create Academy offered), chef Thomasina Miers’ cooking course has just caught my eye. Watch the trailer for it below. Once you become a member (simply sign up for a course), use the promo code MEMBERS20 to save 20% at checkout.

Award-winning chef and @wahaca co-founder @thomasinamiers shares her passion for delicious, joyful food in her first-ever online cooking course: 'Feasting at Home: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple'. Now live to pre-order until 17 December with a 15% discount: https://t.co/vDof563ygk pic.twitter.com/ARXCroXjkH

— Create Academy (@_CreateAcademy_) December 6, 2021

—Vintage Pedestal Side Table, Mahogany (20% off), 1stDibs

—Mid-Century Bamboo and Rattan Bar Cart, 20% off, 1stDibs

Francophile Find

—Now Open for Enrollment: Fall Classes (online and in-person), Alliance de Française, Washington DC (recommended)

So, I have set a goal for myself to step back into French language classes and do my darnedest to improve my French speaking and overall language skills. Washington D.C.’s Alliance Française came highly recommended from readers of TSLL blog who have taken their courses, and while I have taken French courses before from other places that offer classes, I haven’t been able to build a strong foundation. Having taken the oral placement exam this past July (allot about 30-40 minutes to talk with a professor via the phone), I now know which courses to begin with, and will be taking a course this fall to hopefully continue forward with future courses as this Alliance de Française offers an abundance of options depending upon what you need and want to learn.

Enrollment is open now for fall courses that begin mid-September and run through mid-November.

Shopping

—Cassandra’s Kitchen Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (two sizes)

If you are looking for a cast iron skillet to add to your batterie de cuisine, this Lodge skillet will most definitely be with you for your lifetime and then some. Available in both a 10″ and 12″ size, be sure to use the promo code simplyluxurious and save 10% off the entire site.

—FarFetch Sale, 20% off (free shipping)

Thinking about my fall capsule wardrobe and assessing where and what the gaps or missing pieces are, I discovered that FarFetch’s current sale includes many top designers’ fall and winter coats available at reduced prices. Theory’s wool-cashmere coat in light blue is on sale, and I recommend it as I have the light grey version and love its classic style, as it fits well and is comfortable. Also this Barbour Delphine check-print jacket is available at a great price. Many other coats and other items are on sale, so if you know what your capsule wardrobe needs, this is a great opportunity to peruse the entire sale. I have spotlighted a few favorites below, but all of the finds are in the scroll below the collage.

SHOP THE SALE:

—Net-a-Porter, site-wide sale

This past week Net-a-Porter’s site was down for maintenance. Now it is back up, but as a way of apologizing to shoppers for the interruption, they are offering a site-wide discount. Enjoy 10% off everything when you use the promo code SORRY10. I have spotlighted a few things below such as this robe which I live when I wake up in the chilly mornings and prior to going to bed after a long soak, but be sure to cross-check your shopping list and wishlist to see if the price if now more affordable for your budget – and then scoop it up if it is!

SHOP THE SALE:

—Tuckernuck White Eyelet Palmer Dress

—Val V Neck Cashmere Sweater, La Ligne

—Andie Navy 100% Organic Cotton Dress, La Ligne

Television

—Surface, AppleTV+

Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine is behind the new drama series Surface on AppleTV+ that debuted last Friday and is receiving high praise. Starring British actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw from the “The Morning Show” as Sophie, ), it is “set in high-end San Francisco and centers around a woman who has suffered a traumatic head injury that has left her with extreme memory loss, believed to be a result of a suicide attempt. As Sophie embarks on a quest to put the pieces of her life back together with the help of her husband and friends, she begins to question whether or not the truth she is told is in fact the truth she has lived.” Have a look at the trailer below and begin streaming episodes now.

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This lovely summer flower lined walk is for sale . . . and so is the house and land they grow upon. ?

Located in an ideal historic part of Bend, it can be yours. You can take the tour here if you are like me and just love a good cottage. ☺️

I pass by this cottage on one of my many morning walking routes with Norman as it is two blocks away from Drake Park, and for years it has captured my attention. I am sad to see it being sold as the owners take such good care of it, but hopefully the new owner will as well. It has been on the market for quite a while for Bend real estate (56 days). Such charm and so much potential inside as the foundational pieces have been tended to well. They even have an artist’s studio in the back garden. Oh, and the flowers on the front walk – aren’t they just . . . wow! The pairing of the rudbeckia (yellow flower with black center) and purple scabiosa (a flower I just learned about this week at the farmers’ market – thank you Roots Wild!), classic cottage gardening at its finest in Bend, something we don’t see a lot of here, but I am overjoyed to see such a property.

This week at Le Papillon has been garden focused as the generosity of one of my neighbors provided the welcoming of three amur maple trees to my north garden. (Check out August’s A Cuppa Moments where I share a ‘before’ video of this part of my garden and my plans for what I would like to do to transform it over the next couple of years). I am beyond grateful for this opportunity as such trees are foundational investments, and along with the trees themselves, it was a wonderful memory of working with my neighbors, four of us plus two pups – Norman and a new pup my neighbor just welcomed into their lives, that I will always remember each time I step foot back into this part of my garden. Needless to say, as the trees were not easy to remove from their original homes, each day (it took us two mornings), I was exhausted and savored a long hot bath or shower once we wrapped up for the day. However, all it took was going out to see them or gazing out the window where they now are planted to provide an exterior backdrop (and a bit of privacy) to remind me that good things often take great effort, and in this case, very kind and special neighbors I am grateful to live amongst as well.

The upcoming weekend will find Norman and I at home, and I plan to tape a few more episodes of the cooking show (three to go before we wrap on Season 5!) as well as separate my newly sown foxgloves (seeds were sown in mid-June). So tickled they are doing well. And speaking of sowing seeds, a few of my sweet peas sown this past spring are blooming! Wahoo! After three years, I finally have figured out where they are happiest being planted.

As you can tell, my garden has my attention as of late, but food as well has been at the forefront of my mind having the opportunity to be invited to two dinner parties this past week, and one group of people in particular who also loved food, our conversation was quite fun. The other dinner party required only a walk across the road as my neighbor invited me for a mid-week dinner to welcome a new neighbor into her home, and as all of the welcoming neighbors had worked on transplanting the trees talked about above and moving is no small task, each one of us was ready to relax and unwind, and yep, we talked about gardening as well. ☺️

I hope your summer is continuing to go well, and you are finding time to savor Mother Nature or a slower pace or good food or good company or all four or a mix and match. ? Thank you for choosing to stop by today, and look below to find a handful or posts and one video I thought you might enjoy. Until Monday, bonne journée.

~One more reason to prioritize traveling! Traveling is good for your mental health [Chopra]

~Summer and time by the sea just go together, and if you cannot get to the ocean this summer, taking this tour of a 1760s Captain’s Cottage by the Sea in Maine may help as it did for me. [My Scandinavian Home]

~Gardeners, here is a post if you too are working to keep your plants alive in the summer heat. [Middle-sized Garden]

~Are you an extrovert, but also identify as being HSP? This is the article for you – How to Thrive as an Extroverted HSP [Highly Sensitive Refuge]

~A task I tended to last week in the garden, pruning the fruit trees. It’s that time! And Gardeners’ World shows you how in this video and post tutorial.

~Another task I need to tend to more regularly – cleaning my yoga mat and how to do it effectively and simply. [Wire Cutter]

~Museums Off the Beaten Path in Paris worth visiting [HipParis]

~England’s Lionesses had an awesome victory in the Euro Cup on Sunday and on the same day the Tour de France Femmes wrapped up after a long absence for decades. Both events inspired an article to read found in Le Monde – Women’s Sports Must be Made Even More Visible.

~The necessity and power of art during wartime [The New York Times]

~Being sensitive is not a weakness. Truth! Here’s Why.

~The Grit and Polish revealed their new primary bathroom and it is quite sweet!

~If you don’t yet have a console table, here are reasons why to consider welcoming one into your home. [House & Garden UK]

~A couple of weeks ago I recommended exploring the streaming channel, Criterion, for film noir, classic and independent films worth exploring that are hard to find. Minnie Driver shares her favorite films worth watching in this video and in so doing teaches the viewer so much about film history. And it is the last film she recommends that I cannot wait to watch. Oh! And her style – those earrings, the eye glasses. Love everything she is wearing. 🙂

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~Explore last week’s This & That: July 29, 2022

~Please note: TSLL is supported by you, readers who take the time to stop by (merci!), peruse and sometimes welcome into your life mentioned and recommended finds. Affiliate links are present in today’s post and may earn commissions for TSLL when you purchase. View TSLL’s full Privacy Policy here.