“By necessity, we late bloomers are on a different, more challenging trajectory. As we travel through life, we encounter obstacles like the push for conformity, the oppression of groupthink, and the pains of self-doubt. But . . . in all these challenges, we find our hidden treasure. We unearth our individuality. We see that a […]
“In bringing about genuine inner transformation and change, the Dalai Lama emphasizes the importance of making a sustained effort. It is a gradual process.” —The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. The resolutions whether you have concretely written them down or potential ideas of what […]
“Times of transition are strenuous but I love them. They are an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities, and be intentional about new habits. We can make our new normal any way we want.” —Kristin Armstrong, three-time Olympic gold medalist – road cycling As September arrives I find myself torn between the schedule I love during the […]
~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #142 ~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio “Individuals can take hold of [style] and make it their own. Style is about an individual and fashion is about an industry and [fashion] runs on insecurity.” —Stacy London New York Fashion Week motors on as I tape this week’s podcast, and for me, it […]
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” ― Charles William Eliot Much like travel, reading provides the opportunity to open up our eyes to another world, another way of thinking, another way of living that brings us closer to our […]
Part of creating a simply luxurious life is building a sanctuary that is welcoming, comforting and tranquil. One of the highlights of my day is pulling into the garage and walking into my home where I can let my hair down, come a little undone and breathe a huge sigh of relief that I can […]
“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” – C.S. Lewis Change can be absolutely exhilarating when we’ve initiated the process – applied for a new job and been accepted, said yes to a wedding proposal or simply decided […]
“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.” –Albert Einstein Take a moment and look around the world you live in – in your home, in your community, in your country, in the world. What do you see? Do you like what you see? Are there […]
Over the past year, I have been witness to two different stages of the transformation process when it comes to changing someone’s way of living. Each person is someone I either work with or care deeply for, and so I have keenly observed what they were going through. What I have noticed was something I […]
As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to […]
A full week of items, sales, finds I am loving and excited to share as well as a looooooong and lovely links list. I do hope you enjoy. Books —Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo Podcaster and MarietTV host Marie Forleo has a new book out (released September 10th), and it is all about becoming […]
I recently came across a creative decor idea while reading the WSJ’s Off Duty section this past weekend. On the topic of lighting, most particularly for the kitchen, this article – Transform Your Kitchen, offered a single solution for adding an abundance of personality to a traditional kitchen without the huge construction cost: differentiated non-matching […]
“A home should reveal the personalities of its inhabitants. At its best it should be a portrait of who you are . . . Look at your house as an artist would and have fun creating vignettes as a painter would a still life.” —Kristin Perers, author of A Home for All Seasons Fall will […]
The cup of tea is steaming. The evening sky with skiffs of pink paint strokes is transitioning to dark, and the boys are settling into their favorite nooks of the furniture. Ending the day at home, in a home of one’s own is a priceless feeling. Trying to bottle, frame and not forget such deep […]
Now that I have my house, can see the walls, the rooms and know what the clay I have the opportunity to mold actually is, I am scooping up deals on items I have long saved in my shopping cart or in my email files. Never one to want to pay full price as I […]
Art —2019 Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Exhibit, The Paley Center for Media, NYC We may have to wait until early December for the third season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon, and while I have no doubt it will be worth the wait, if you are visiting New York City between now and September 7th, […]
Stepping outside these past few mornings, early in the day, the noticeable difference in the later sunrise is evidence of the coming of the end of summer. Mind you, the days are still brilliantly warm, the pace of the days is leisurely, but fall is coming, and that too is something to get excited about. […]
The simple process by which solid butterfat is separated from the liquid buttermilk produces the most scrumptious and one of the most important details when it comes to cooking and making delicious, mouth-wateringly good food: Butter. Butter, as TSLL readers know, is not all the same, and the difference makes a différence! So I decided […]
Film —Where’d You Go Bernadette? Based on the 2012 bestselling novel by Maria Semple, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, the film opens in theaters today. Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchette stars as Bernadette in the comedic plot that follows a mother determined to reconnect with her creative self. Her adventure takes her all the way to […]
Acquiring the skill of savoring everyday pleasures and moments is a crucial ingredient of living an extraordinary life. And while one person’s everyday pleasurable moment may be different than another’s, finding what soothes you, what brings you to the present moment, is knowledge about oneself worth discovering. For me, one simple everyday pleasure is sipping […]
Julia Child found her large (The New York Times described it as “bird bath sized“) and much-used mortar and pestle at the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen in the 1950s, and with the help of her husband Paul to carry it to their car, it remained a part of her batterie de cuisine through her years in […]
App —Earny If you have ever purchased an item, only to see it go on sale a week or even a day later, you will want to check out the Earny app. Based on the receipts you have in your in-box, Earny scans them and compares your purchase price to the new sales price, crediting […]
“I also think there is a lot of elitism in food . . . there is a new elite that says it has to be local. It has to be seasonal. It has to be organic. And yes, there are very good health concerns, and yes, there are very good ecological concerns, but at the […]
Books —Banish Your Self-Critic: Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt to Unleash Your Creativity and Do Your Best Work by Denise Jacobs While released a couple of years ago, Denise Jacobs’ book Banish Your Self-Critic offers tips for unleashing your inner creative self. From identifying your voice of self-doubt and then learning how to quiet it, […]
