More than a few wonderful new series are set to premiere, a debut novel that looks intriguing as well as the day gardeners have been waiting for since this past October! A film for Francophiles, a film to inspire and watch in awe and a film to remind us of our humanity and all the good that there is amongst us. Also, sartorial finds for spring from shoes and sandals, coats, jeans, handbags and more, and a beautiful vintage painting to scoop up if you are looking for a piece of Normandy to welcome Le Printemps. And still, there is more . . .

Books

—The Divorcées: A Novel by Rowan Beaird

A debut novel being released this coming Tuesday by Rowan Beaird that has pre-reviews offering praise, The Divorcées is set in 1950s Reno, Nevada, the “glamorous, dizzying world Reno, where housewives and movie stars rubbed shoulders at gin-soaked casinos. The Divorcees is a riveting page-turner and a dazzling exploration of female friendship, desire, and freedom.”

—Finding Margaret Fuller: A Novel by Allison Pataki

This just looks like a wonderful story that fictitiously involves many well-known historical figures that tend to catch my attention. Being released next Tuesday, Margaret Fuller is “young, brazen, beautiful, and unapologetically brilliant. She accepts an invitation from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the celebrated Sage of Concord, to meet his coterie of enlightened friends. There she becomes ‘the radiant genius and fiery heart’ of the Transcendentalists, a role model to a young Louisa May Alcott, an inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne and the scandalous Scarlet Letter, a friend to Henry David Thoreau as he ventures out to Walden Pond . . . and a muse to Emerson. But Margaret craves more than poetry and interpersonal drama, and her restless soul needs new challenges and adventures.

“And so she charts a singular course against a backdrop of dizzying historical drama: From Boston, where she hosts a salon for students like Elizabeth Cady Stanton; to the editorial meetings of The Dial magazine, where she hones her pen as its co-founder; to Harvard’s library, where she is the first woman permitted entry; to the gritty New York streets where she spars with Edgar Allan Poe and reports on Frederick Douglass. Margaret defies conventions time and again as an activist for women and an advocate for humanity, earning admirers and critics alike.”

I think is going to be my next novel to read!

British Finds

—Chatsworth: The Gardens and the People Who Made Them by Alan Titchmarsh

Gardeners, history lovers and Anglophiles, Alan Titchmarsh’s Chatsworth is to be released in the states next week, and after having been released in the UK to great reviews, this exploration of the grounds of Chatsworth in Derbyshire, an area well-known to those who know the area around Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame, follow “Alan into Chatsworth’s irresistible world of visionaries, pioneers, heroes, villains and English eccentrics, and celebrate the men and women who have shaped the history of the estate over five centuries.

“With his passionate knowledge of both the house and gardens, as well as his long-established relationship with the Cavendish family, Alan is the perfect guide with whom to explore the Palace of the Peaks.”

—Gardeners’ World, BBC 2, season premiere

And today the spring season arrives (unofficially) with the premiere of a new season of Gardeners’ World! Look for a new episode every Friday beginning today and running through October. Watching this gardening series hosted by Monty Don in his garden at Longmeadow is a Saturday morning ritual savored after a morning in the garden here at Le Papillon, and this weekend will be no different! Cannot wait!

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—Nolly, PBS Masterpiece (Petit Plaisir #376)

A series that is not to miss! I shared a detailed review in last Wednesday’s Petit Plaisir. A limited series starring Helena Bonham Carter as Noele (Nolly) Gordon, a beloved actress and household name in the 1960s through the 1980s in Britain and this new series tells the story that, well, listen or read my detailed review here as I had the opportunity to watch the entire series this past October and absolutely loved it and think you will too.

Tune in this Sunday to PBS Masterpiece when the series premieres.

Film

—French Girl

Being released this Friday, French Girl “follows Gordon Kinski (Zach Braff), a high school teacher from Brooklyn, who goes with his girlfriend and chef Sophie Tremblay to her hometown of Quebec City where she is testing for the Michelin 3-star restaurant of super-chef Ruby Collin (Vanessa Hudgens)”. Drama ensues when his girlfriend’s past relationships come to light, and while the NYTimes‘ review references the script dances quite close to appearing as a parody which is why I hesitated to include it after seeing the trailer, at the same time, sometimes watching a good French cliché now and again just makes us smile (so long as we know it is such). Have a look at the trailer and look for it in theaters today.

—One Life

Now this film, One Life, looks to be one to watch. Based on a true story and starring Anthony Hopkins as Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, a young London broker who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued over 600 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, the film captures Winton’s reflections on the events of the war and how it affected the children caught in harm’s way. Have a look at the trailer below and look for it in theaters beginning today.

—Women’s Adventure Film Tour, 2024

Our local boutique theater is showing this annual event film later this month, and the trailer alone has me inspired. If you are looking for a reminder to take that risk and live the life you’ve been dreaming about, this film is the film to watch as we continue to celebrate International Women’s Month. Have a look at the trailer below and look for it in a theater near you.

Francophile Finds

—Antique French Painting of Spring in Normandy, My French Country Home boutique

—Tandem, MHzChoice, final season

I do enjoy this French series, and the back and forth between exes Paul and Lea as they work and raise their children together while investigating cases in Montpellier keeps each season full of interesting character plots. And with the sixth season (this season), which will premiere on March 19th, is the final season of a series that leaves you quite fond of all of the main characters. Will be savoring each episode.

Shopping

—Agold 90s pinch waist rigid high-rise straight-leg jeans

A brand offering timeless style, with a touch of retro, AND available at a great price. I am loving the length as well as the waist on these, and if you are looking for a bit rougher edge, look at the pair I included just below.

—Agolde Lana Rigid mid-rise straight-leg jeans

—Altuzarra’s Skinny Braid belt (four colors)

Having a statement belt is a great idea, and while Altuzarra’s’ designs are investments, such a belt will be used and look fantastic for years to come. From cinching that shirt dress, or corralling your cardigan, such a simple accessory really does finish an outfit well.

—Clare V.

With a new collection available inspired by Paris, discover many different crossbody bags, along with their Noémie tote (two colors available), along with simple, yet chic earrings. Oh, and I cannot forget the catchy French sayings on tops, hats and bags. I have shopped a few items below, but be sure to check out the entire new collection here.

SHOP the New Collection:

—Emma Parsons Susan Slide in Tan Nappa (four colors available)

Emma Parsons’ shoes have a European classic look to them, timeless in many ways, simple, yet still subtly modern. The Susan slide, seen here, checks all of these boxes, and as we look ahead to warmer weather, a neutral sandal to have at the ready is a wise idea.

—Mango Cotton trench coat with belt, anchovy gray

Light-weight, and a variation on the typical khaki trench, yet still a neutral.

—Nola Silky Piped Robe, floral

While feeling as soft as silk, these robes found at Pottery Barn can actually be washed at home and continue to look as beautiful and feel as comfortable with each go-round.

—Pottery Barn handcrafted Emery Ceramic candlesticks, navy (white also available)

Unique candlesticks will always pique my interest, and while not tall in height, these ceramic blue designs are unique, yet classic, and certainly sturdy enough to hold a long taper candle.

Television

—Alice & Jack, PBS Masterpiece

Premiering after Nolly (mentioned above) on PBS Masterpiece this Sunday, March 17th, Alice & Jack is a series created by Mad Men award-winning writer Victor Levin (Mad Men, Mad About You) and features performances Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie, Birdman) as Alice, a single woman invested in her career while grappling with a childhood trauma, and Domhnall Gleeson (The Revenant, About Time) as the scientist she meets in a bar. The cast also includes Aisling Bea (This Way Up), Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), and Sunil Patel (Love at First Sight). Have a look at the trailer below and enjoy six episodes with a new one released each Sunday moving forward.

—Palm Royale, AppleTV+

The scene is 1969 and Kristen Wiig stars as “an ambitious woman aspiring to cross the line between the haves and have-nots to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive, fashionable and treacherous table: Palm Beach high society.” A fantastic cast has been assembled alongside Wiig, from Carol Burnett, Laura Dean, Allison Janning and many more. Have a look at the trailer below and look for it to premiere on Apple next Wednesday March 20th with 10 episodes in the series.

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We’re resting up because this weekend and into Monday and Tuesday, the forecast is saying gorgeous weather is in store (we might reach 70 degrees!), and that means oodles of time outside in the garden. Norman and Nelle LOVE pottering about as much as I do (maybe more) because they get to meet neighbors, follow their noses and discover all sorts of interesting smells and petite yummy things in the soil.

Needless to say, I think they may have heard the weather forecast because they too are excited, or so I am telling myself. 😉

I hope your week has treated you well, and you too are eager for some time to do what tickles your fancy and delights your curiosity. Paired with time in the garden and of course watching the first episode of the season of GW, I will also be making time to work on my French homework and finishing up work on one of the lessons for the Contentment Master Class. All in all, a nice weekend of work, play, productivity and relaxing. Add a croissant (or two) on Sunday morning as per our weekly ritual here at Le Papillon, and the weekend looks to be delicious and most definitely something to savor.

This week was a full one on the blog, with just yesterday March’s Ponderings . . . post for TOP Tier members where I shared a handful of skincare and beauty discoveries I am tickled with along with a Brocante in Provence not to miss and much more. Four outfits were shared this month on Wednesday to prep for spring with inspiration for dressing up and dressing well but casually so too. And on Monday, a deep dive exploration into consciously choosing high quality leisure pastimes and how they contribute to unexpected ahas in all arenas of our life.

Now to the weekend, shall we? Wishing you satiating meals, as well as time to dream and be, as you savor oodles of everyday moments. Thank you for stopping by today, and until Monday, bonne journée !

~Let’s begin this week’s reading with a gorgeous home and garden tour of Sarah Raven’s East Sussex gardens [House & Garden UK]

~When carrots come in season, this will be a recipe to try. There is something so deliciously surprising about the sweetness carrots render when baked or roasted – A Shaved Carrot Tart with Ricotta [Saveur]

~Quiet luxury isn’t just for wardrobes and it isn’t just for large homes either. Three ways to elevate small spaces into grand and special sanctuaries. [Homes & Gardens UK]

~Ideas for planning the perfect itinerary in Saint-Germain-des-Prés [T & L]

~A little more insight into the true story of Coco Chanel during WWII as The New Look took a few liberties and made changes to her biography that are worth knowing about [NYTimes, gift link]

~David Lebovitz chats with Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman

~Since we’re talking about food and David lives in Paris – French Dining Etiquette: Restaurant Dining Like a Local [Hip Paris]

~What French bakeries get right about strategy (business, that is) [Harvard Business Review]

~10 tips for passing the French language test [The Local, subscription required]

~And as Britain and gardening are on my mind, Rick Steves’ tour through West England, specifically the Cotswolds, caught my eye. Enjoy slipping away to the countryside of England!

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~Explore last week’s This & That: March 8, 2024

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