A new book that is catching fire and already slated to come to the big screen, a new British detective series, those glasses – were you looking for them as well? I found them for you!, capsule wardrobe items from dresses, handbags, earrings and sweaters, a book to show you how to live with a mindset of wealth as it pertains to your state of mind, inspiration for the home to tend to it so it will tend to you, and much, much more.

Books

—Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth by Deepak Chopra

I look forward to reading Deepak Chopra’s new book Abundance, which was just released this past Tuesday. Addressing the default that so many of us live with – “a mind-set of lack, scarcity, and limitation . . . focus[ing] on what we don’t have—financial security, confidence, an intimate relationship—which keeps us feeling insecure and inadequate”, . . . Chopra illuminates this road to success and wholeness, helping readers tap into a deeper sense of awareness to become agents of change in their own lives. Mixing ancient teachings and spiritual practices with the wisdom he’s garnered over four decades as the leading figure in mind-body medicine, Deepak demonstrates how to transcend self-generated feelings of limitation and fear in order to experience true abundance in all aspects of life. To do so, he offers a seven-step plan along with meditations and mindfulness techniques to help you focus and direct your attention, energy, and intuition so you can experience stability, affluence, insight, creativity, love, and true power.”

—Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness by Michelle Ogundehin

Released in 2020, “Ogundehin’s nine-step practical guide to creating a space in which to feel truly at home” is for everyone – whether you rent or own. “Michelle shows you how to harness its potential in pursuit of becoming your best self. Because, if you want to feel calm, content, soothed or energized, you must begin with what surrounds you. Happy Inside covers everything from how to create more light and space to how to get a good night’s sleep; the path to a perfect sofa and why a dining table is your most vital piece of furniture. Plus, how to decorate to promote joy; the importance of play (and circular side tables) and why a tidy home isn’t necessarily a happy one.”

—Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize and Move Forward with Your Life by Matt Paxton and Jordan Michael Smith

“For over 20 years, Matt Paxton has helped people from all walks of life who want to live more simply declutter and downsize. As a featured cleaner on Hoarders and host of the Emmy-nominated Legacy List with Matt Paxton on PBS, he has identified the psychological roadblocks that most organizational experts routinely miss but that prevent so many of us from lightening our material load.” Released in February, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff helps you sift through years of clutter, let go of what no longer serves you, and identify the items worth keeping so that you can focus on living in the present.”

—Life Unstyled: How to embrace imperfection and create a home you love by Emily Henson

Released last April, but as we are coming up on the annual ritual of spring cleaning, I thought sharing the title now might be what many readers are looking for. Life Unstyled reminds us to let go of the ‘perfect’ home, but still create and decorate with thoughtful attention to how you live and how you can function well in your home. A Home is Never Done “advocates allowing space to evolve gradually, so it is an ever-changing expression of your tastes and interests. Work with What You’ve Got suggests ways to make the most of the home you have rather than yearning for unattainable perfection. Signs of Life offers ideas for wrangling papers, clutter and other stuff, Creative Clutter tackles collections and displays, while Break the Rules rejects style diktats and shows how individuality can bring a home to life. The second section, ‘People Live Here’, visits real-life homes that may not be Insta-perfect yet display incredible style and creativity and reflect their owners’ needs, tastes, and talents.”

—The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House 1918-1939 by Adrian Tinniswood

Acclaimed social and architectural historian Adrian Tinniswood “introduces readers to the tumultuous, scandalous and glamorous history of English country houses during the years between World Wars. As estate taxes and other challenges forced many of these venerable houses onto the market, new sectors of British and American society were seduced by the dream of owning a home in the English countryside. Drawing on thousands of memoirs, letters, and diaries, as well as the eye-witness testimonies of belted earls and bibulous butlers, Tinniswood brings the stately homes of England to life as never before, opening the door to a world by turns opulent and ordinary, noble and vicious, and forever wrapped in myth.”

—Woman on Fire: A Novel by Lisa Barr

Released this week and already tapped to become a movie with Sharon Stone starring and producing, Woman on Fire is a “tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece—forcing the ultimate showdown between passion and possession, lovers and liars, history and truth.” Art, mystery and history. I am in!

British Find

—The Chelsea Detective, AcornTV

Debuting in the states March 7th with new episodes released each week, a new series on AcornTV – The Chelsea Detective. “London’s Chelsea neighbourhood is a beautiful borough for beautiful people, but it has a dark underside of deception, violence, greed-and murder. Bodies have a way of showing up, and things are rarely what they seem. DI Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough) and his partner, DS Priya Shamsie (Sonita Henry), must root out the truth and bring those responsible to justice, no matter their wealth or status.” Have a look at the trailer below.

Décor

—Serena & Lily Avalon Bench (on sale!), customizable

Francophile Find

—Le Guerande ‘Fleur De Sel’ Sea Salt

Fleur de Sel is a staple in my épicerie, and while there are local (Oregon) salts I have cooked with, Le Guerande’s is a treat to have in the kitchen (a small pouch was included in Sharon Santoni’s My Stylish French Box this past February). Available in a variety of different sizes, stocking up on this at a great price is not a bad idea.

—Le Creuset Chambray collection (new pieces added)

Shopping

—Cos Pearl Drop Earrings

—La Ligne Isla Dress

—La Ligne Jacques Sweater (three colors)

One more item from La Ligne that I couldn’t help but share as this style of sweater has been a favorite of TSLL readers these past two months. Made with 100% cotton, this half-zip is available in ivory, navy and deep green. Cozy and classic.

—M.Gemi The Eleonora Oversized Crescent Bag (four colors)

—Mikita Meryl reading glasses (as seen on Carrie in AJLT)

Perhaps you, like me, became smitten by Carrie Bradshaw’s reading glasses in And Just Like That (see them here), and it has taken a while for me to track down the actual designer. Well, they are a German company and their name is Mykita. And no, they are not cheap, but I wanted to share just in case you were curious. And yep, there is a list, but if you like this design, there is another color option that is currently available.

Television

—Dear . . . , Apple+TV

Season 2 of Apple+’s series Dear . . . Gdebuts today. “Using letters written by those whose lives have been changed through the work of the most iconic figures in society today. Each episode profiles internationally recognized leaders including Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, Spike Lee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Yara Shahidi, Stevie Wonder, Aly Raisman, Misty Copeland, Big Bird and more.”

—The Dropout, Hulu

Premiering yesterday on Hulu, Amanda Seyfried stars as Elizabeth Holmes who develops healthcare technology that puts millions of patients at risk and loses everything in the blink of an eye. The limited series The Dropout also stars Naveen Andrews as Sunny Balwani and you can watch three episodes now with a new episode dropping every week thereafter.

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A week of deep breaths, deep sleeps and much appreciation.

Late Tuesday evening I learned that TSLL’s 3rd book, The Road to Le Papillon reached the #1 New Release spot in France Travel books, and this is all due to you, TSLL readers, for your interest, for your support and for your time given during your week to purchase a copy of the hardback. What does that ranking mean exactly? On that particular day, no other book in that category was purchased more than any other. Thank you very, very much. I cannot wait for the book to arrive at your doorstep/mailbox so you can begin exploring. Already, advanced copies were reviewed by five people, and you can see their reviews on the US Amazon site, the UK site and the Canadian site. The reviews are detailed and specific in what you will find inside, and I couldn’t be more grateful for each reviewer’s time to read closely the book that I hope will be a resource for years to come as each reader goes along their unique life journey.

The launch process takes time, and I know international readers had to wait three more days before it would show up in your Amazon marketplace for purchase and some may still be waiting (my publisher shared it takes between 3-5 days), but rest assured it will become available. And I am excited to finally be able to share – the paperback version is now available!!!! In fact, you can have the paperback in your hands by Monday March 7th – yep in four days! – if you order today. Interestingly enough both (hardback and paperback) were submitted within 5 minutes of each other for review (the final step that must take place before it is published – view how the publishing process works here in this post), and for reasons I will not know, one become available and the other took more time. However, the order of release benefits you as the hardbacks do take longer to ship, and the paperback ships in a matter of days. ☺️ Wahoo!!!

Most of the week for Norman and I has found us at home, preparing the book orders readers made back in February (of the 1st and 2nd books), organizing and signing the bookplates and addressing and stuffing the envelopes full of gifts for TOP Tier members that will arrive hopefully just before their copies arrive so they can place the signed bookplate inside the cover, use the bookmark and jot down any notes on the Croissants notepad that may come to mind. I do have a limited amount of extra silk embroidered bookmarks available and will be making them ready for purchase in the coming weeks (you can see them when they arrived from the UK in the below IG pic – there are four different designs – daffodils, snowdrops, Purple Empress butterfly and Painted Lady butterfly), so stay tuned. I won’t be restocking these, so it will be a first-come-first-serve basis. They are well made and soft to the touch with lovely texture. You can also order the Croissants notepads as well.

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The rain fell all Wednesday night, and it was the most melodious sound to fall asleep and wake up to. I felt for a moment I may have been in Portland or even sweeter, England. ☺️ I had hoped to be finishing the wallpaper in my primary bathroom this weekend, but the shipment arrived with the incorrect wallpaper, so I am delayed a bit longer, but not worried. Soon, the correct wallpaper will arrive and in no time, the bathroom will finally be done. All of this delay will make the finished room only the sweeter, and for that moment alone – when all is complete, I look forward to, but I am savoring how far it has come right now.

It looks like Bend’s boutique theater has The Worst Person in the World film on its schedule, so I may pop in and watch it, as it has caught my attention. The sweetpea seeds need sowing, so I look forward to stepping into my potting table area and tinkering about a bit, excited that spring is coming. Other than that, the weekend will be slow and leisurely, and that sits very well with me.

Thank you again for your interest in TSLL’s new book. If you would like to hear an excerpt from the book and take a look inside, be sure to watch this video as I take 15 minutes to talk about what the book contains, why the title was chosen and share what I hope readers will take away from reading it.

Also, in this post (scroll down to just below the video), I detail the publishing process the book goes through to make it into your hands, making sure that it looks the way I envisioned it in my mind.

Thank you for choosing to stop by today, and wishing you a wonderful weekend. Stay well, safe and cozy. Until Monday when a new episode of the podcast goes live, bonne journée.

~A thoughtful and thought-provoking post on why are we pushing so hard if it only leaves us exhausted and unable to enjoy the life we live? [Frictionless Living]

~How being too nice may do more harm than good [LifeHack]

~How to embrace being an introvert in an extroverted world [Introvert, Dear]

~Gardeners’ World‘s new season begins next Friday and Monty Don shared his monthly post on what to do in the garden, March.

~Learn more about Ukraine’s long oppression by Russia [CBS News]

~How to support and help the people of Ukraine [NPR]

~How to commit . . . to yourself [Zen Habits]

~As many people realized while under lockdown that they had more possessions than they needed, a guide to getting rid of almost everything [The New Yorker]

~Spring clean your garden shed [The English Garden]

~Airmail describes the new film Cyrano, a musical for people who don’t like musicals.

~The eight-episode limited series premieres on March 31st. Have a look at the trailer for Julia on HBO Max starring Sarah Lancashire.

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Check out last week’s This & That: February 25, 2022

~Please note: Affiliate links are present in today’s post and may earn commissions for TSLL. View TSLL’s full Privacy Policy here.