The journey of turning a house into a home takes time, but the process is somewhat analogous to how we as individuals learn and grow and come to best understand ourselves as well. Once we begin to learn how to live in a house, the structure with four walls that is our home, and will […]
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” —Victor Frankl When we fight the change that inevitably will occur in our lives — death – of ourselves, of others we love; a shift in our daily routines due to career changes, children growing up, etc. — we expend […]
“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 […]
Beauty —Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant About a month ago, I began using Eminence’s strawberry rhubarb dermafoliant once a day to gently exfoliate my skin. Recommended by the facialist I visit on a seasonal basis, I trust her taste and decided to give it a try. And I am quite happy that I did. The price […]
And so it begins. TSLL’s house begins to become a home. Or at least it has begun in my mind. 🙂 Customizing our homes to best suit the needs of the inhabitants, whilst offering not only comfort on a daily basis but inspiration as well is no low bar to step over, but rather quite […]
“A true love story isn’t a fairy tale. It takes vulnerability and effort.” Contentment versus misery. Peace versus malcontentment. Joy versus heartache. What separates a life of the former from the life of the latter in each of these side-by-sides is knowing when to leave life up to chance and when to choose to invest […]
Books —Bibliostyle: How We Live At Home with Books by Nina Freudenberger Books and decor. If you are looking for not only inspiration for how to style your books, but also stories and insights into the lives of lovers of books, this is a new decor book to purchase. Having had the opportunity to enjoy […]
Sanctuaries take time to bloom and reveal the beauty and wanted glimpses and insights of those who inhabit the four walls. But the good news is, we do not have to wait until we find our dream home to decorate it. What I recently discovered when I moved into my new home after renting for […]
“Elegance is not something that adds stress or difficulty to our lives — quite the contrary. True elegance . . . means confidence in who you are and what you love, grace in how you handle yourself, and openness to the best in others.” —interior designer Timothy Corrigan in his new book The New Elegance: […]
“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Sometimes lessons can only be understood in retrospect, but I am thank for those who have passed along their insights so not every lesson in life must be acquired from first-hand experience. Reflecting on the times of my life when I have felt peace of […]
Invigorating our everydays takes conscious effort, but it need not be hard. In fact, once we shift the way we look at the routine of our days, we infuse positive habits that provide the levitation to make our everydays extraordinary. Now if you were to search “how to improve your life” on the internet, you […]
For some time there has been one skill in the kitchen that has been an unknown to me, but when I finally decided to explore it, my experience and flavors were taken to an entirely different level. The skill I was intimated to learn initially in the kitchen was how to make delicious sauces, inspired […]
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 […]
