The return of a much-enjoyed Danish favorite drama, a new film starring a favorite Oscar winning actor and an impressive rising star, two books utilizing philosophy to offer life inspiration, a documentary on a petite French restaurant in LA, pieces for your capsule wardrobe – investment and items on sale, French-made men’s scarves for timeless style through the winter and early spring, a French skincare find recommended by a favorite French actor, and still, much more.

Books

—The Great Money Reset: Change Your Work, Change Your Wealth, Change Your Life by Jill Schlesinger

Being released next Tuesday is financial expert Jill Schlesinger, new book The Great Money Reset. Upon hearing one particular question more often than others, ‘How far should I really go to change my life?’ she decided to write a guide for getting serious about building your best life. In The Great Money Reset, Schlesinger shares “a road map for navigating our present era, this book shows us how to take advantage of the seismic changes unfurling all around us to make big life improvements. Whether it’s negotiating a better deal with your boss, starting or selling a business, moving to a new locale, retraining for a new career, taking time off to find yourself, or saying ‘the heck with it’ and retiring early, The Great Money Reset provides an essential frame-work for strategizing and planning your next move.”

—How to be Love(d): Simple Truths for Going Easier on Yourself, Embracing Imperfection, and Loving Your Way to a Better Life by Humble Poet

Released this past December from the international best-selling author of Unlearn, the Humble Poet is back and this time talking about love in How to be Love(d), specially how to love yourself better. “With short chapters filled with insight, advice, and personal anecdotes from Humble’s own journey, this book is a guide to self-love that helps clarify your path inward toward the inherent love and value that is within each of us. Throw away old ideas that prevent you from realizing the love you’ve always had within you. Instead of earning more, achieving more, and gaining more attention, clear pathways for love to enter and flourish.”

—Life is Hard: Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way by Kieran Setiya

Released this past fall and named the best book of the year by The New Yorker and The Economist, in Life is Hard: Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way Kieran Setiya “shows how the tools of philosophy can help us find our way. Drawing on ancient and modern philosophy as well as fiction, history, memoir, film, comedy, social science” . . . he counters the “pop psychologists and online influencers who admonish us to ‘find our bliss’ and ‘live our best lives,’ acknowledging that the best is often out of reach. Instead, he asks how we can weather life’s adversities, finding hope and living well when life is hard.” While I will challenge him on the exploration of “best” as it is what is best for the individual not what is best deemed by society, I still am most curious about his book and perhaps you will be as well.

—This Beauty: A Philosophy of Being Alive by Nick Riggle

Long-time TSLL reader Audrey introduced to me Nick Riggle and his book that was released just this past December. Riggle draws on “ insights from aesthetics and  his experiences as a professional skate, showing us how we can understand the idea that life is beautiful enough to bear repeating . . . In  This Beauty, Riggle explores the beauty of being alive by investigating the things we say to inspire ourselves and each other: seize the day, treat yourself, you only live once” arguing that “these clichés are at best vague, at worst stupid”. Explore through a unique perspective the beauty of life and what truly living well can be all about. Thank you Audrey for bringing this author to my attention.

British Find

—The White Company Linen Jacket, fawn (also available in white and black)

Décor

—Noely Desk, caramel, 35% off

I saw this desk and I wanted to share as it is a classic style with a lot of legroom with a touch of style and it is on sale at the moment.

Film

—When You Finish Saving the World

Being released today, Academy Award winner Julianne Moore stars alongside up and coming actor Finn Wolfhard who plays her teenage son. The plot, “Evelyn (Julianne Moore) has devoted herself to helping people in hard times, but she struggles to connect with her son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), an aspiring internet star oblivious to the problems of the world.” Have a look at the trailer below and look for this movie now in theaters to discover why both actors are receiving praise for their roles in When You Finish Saving the World.

Francophile Find

—Belle Vie

I stumbled across this new documentary of a Parisian-inspired bistro located in Los Angeles named Belle Vie. Run by Frenchman Vincent Samarco pre-pandemic and doing quite well, when the pandemic does strike, the film captures the struggles he and his staff endure as they work to adapt and simply survive. Have a look at the trailer below and stream it on Amazon Prime for free or wherever you watch your favorite films.

—La Fervente Éclat Extraordinaire

At the end of today’s post I’ve included a video sharing an interview with actor Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Sylvie in Emily in Paris), while not shared specifically in the video, but in this article with Red magazine, she reveals the face cream she uses, and after further investigation, I think it is a cream to try. Made in France by the company La Fervance, it is their Éclat Extraordinaire and it is priced at fewer than €200, nearly half the price of the beloved La Mer.

Made with 100% natural ingredients, Éclat Extraordinaire includes “67% active ingredients boasting double hyaluronic acid from 100% pure HA sources, a bio-active complex of Australian mountain plant extracts, mimosa and jojoba extracts, baobab lifting gel, Buriti oil, Kakadu plum extract, vitamin E, 23K gold, pearly pigments and pure seawater from the French Breton coasts”.

I will be giving it a try when my current face cream runs out, and will be sure to share in the monthly pondering posts for TOP Tier members in the spring how it works.

Shopping

—Huckberry Men’s Blundstone Chelsea Boot

—La Fabrique d’écharpe merino wool silk stole, men’s (more designs)

—La Ligne White Davie Stripe cotton-jersey tee

A classic long-sleeve tee – navy and white – and fairly inexpensive from a trusted brand who knows their stripes.

—INVESTMENT PIECE: Veronica Beard Hosanna Dickey Jacket, navy

—Theory Admiral Crepe Oakland Trench in Stork (more colors)

—Vince site-wide sale, 30% off

Use promo code VINCE30 and save on nearly everything. I have shopped more than a few items below, and these tapered pull-on pant in sandshell (immediately below) caught my eye for a perfect item to pair with spring blouses or extra fine sweaters, or during the summer before it gets too warm with a classic Breton top and sandals or sneakers.

SHOP THE SALE BELOW:

Television

—Seaside Hotel ( Badehotellet), Season 9

Just as I sat down last Friday night I discovered that the long waited for ninth season of the Danish drama Seaside Hotel had been released. Five episodes, so go slowly (a note to self that I did not heed ?), but this is a great season. Nearly all of the original cast returns as we find them just after the conclusion of WWII, and it is Amanda’s story-line that drives the season, but as fans of the series know, there are many other storylines as well. Watch on PBS Masterpiece (through Amazon Prime) or Walter Presents. Enjoy!

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Earlier this week I stumbled upon the blush hyacinths you see above at Trader Joe’s and a smile immediately followed. The scent of spring in the house is a treat, and while we are only mid-January, it made me all the more aware of how quickly the seasons can change. However, worry not as I am still very much enjoying this time indoors. Enjoying an evening stroll in the falling snow last evening with the pups, sitting by the fire to keep warm as the early morning temps are below freezing, and savoring just resting a bit more in the evenings, January nudges us to catch our breath, settle in and clarify – what is truly necessary and important.

The office bookshelves were painted this week, and as I type, they stare at the back of my head empty but soon to be filled. I am savoring this next step as organizing my books (thank you to all of the suggestions about how to organize them from TOP Tier Members in last week’s January Ponderings . . . post) is a happy project I greatly revel in, and in fact, am considering emptying my living room bookshelves and really giving both an entire re-organization. We will see! But that likely will take up some of my weekend and I welcome the responsibility. 🙂

A new book arrived this week that I am forcing myself to try to slowly explore, but devouring each entry I am, and I think you will enjoy it as well. I will talk about it more in February’s A Cuppa Moments. I pottered about in the garden over the weekend, trimming back the herbaceous plants, all the while catching up with no less than eight of my neighbors, something I so miss during the winter months. It was a pleasure and both pups seemed to enjoy themselves – moseying about the garden and meeting the neighbors.

We are scheduled to have beautiful blue sky days and chilly temperatures this weekend in Bend, ideal for being outdoors in the snow at the mountain, so we may make our way up there. Either way, I think a cup of chocolat chaud may be in order in the afternoon and more time reading, relaxing and just doing whatever comes to mind. Thank you for stopping by today and wishing you a wonderful weekend. Until Monday, bonne journée!

~Psst . . . If you listened to this week’s podcast episode earlier this week and thought it had odd gaps, you were correct! An error occurred in the uploading process that I did not catch. I do apologize. Now the entire episode has been re-recorded, fixed and uploaded. Listen to episode #349 – What I Have Learned in French Class, So Far . . . , Partie Quatre here (and if listening on your podcast app, make sure the episode length reads 51 min (not 50 min) as the latter (50) is the old episode. Simply restart or reupload your app and the new episode will appear. I do apologize for this and want to thank listeners who brought this to my attention. ?

~Thoroughly enjoyed this article, and in fact, one piece of advice inspired Monday’s Motivational post – ‘The best advice I’ve been given’ Cynthia Nixon, Kengo Kuma, Gilbert & George and co share all [The Financial Times]

~How to create a chic and timeless French capsule wardrobe [Leonce Chenal]

~12 Key plants for a Cottage Garden [Gardeners’ World]

~In this mid-century London home I especially love the soft hued curtains to balance the playful décor selections, and the sofa, and the lamps and the side tables. You get the idea. ☺️ A fun and colorful home tour that marries cozy and tasteful timeless decor [House & Garden UK]

~Small changes for introverts to incorporate into their lives to elevate the quality [Introvert, Dear]

~Interior designers share their thoughts on the trends we will see in 2023 and what we no longer will from 2022. [Vogue]

~Magpie Murder fans! Good news! The sequel Moonflower Murders is officially in the works for Masterpiece PBS and Leslie Manville is returning as Susan Ryland. [PBS Masterpiece]

~If you’re dreaming of spending the summer in Provence while the lavender is in bloom, take this dream house tour set in the Luberon [House & Garden UK]

~Phew! It’s OK to get carried away when shopping for flower seeds [The New York Times]

~One more for gardeners, but everyone really – Talking about why gardening is medicine for the mind [Gardeners’s World podcast]

~One more home tour. Let’s go to Notting Hill for this serene remodel [Architectural Digest]

~I did enjoy the third season of Emily in Paris; I think far more than the first two seasons. Partly because there was more French spoken and largely because Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu who stars as Sylvie Grateau was given a much bigger role and focus. Below the actor talks about fashion and travel with Harpers’ Bazaar and it is her final response that I greatly appreciate.

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~Explore last week’s This & That: January 13, 2023

~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.