5.20.2013
Beauty Updates
I hope you had a great weekend! This week's video discusses three different beauty topics that are on my mind:
Pür Minerals
Pür Minerals sent me their 4n1 Pressed Mineral Powder to review. It's great! It provides full coverage and is packaged in a pretty little compact made of recycled materials— perfect for when you are on the go.
Hair after baby
I've experienced hair loss after having both of my children. The fine baby hairs around the crown of my head are particularly hard to style. (*Update* Thanks to all of my YouTube viewers who have already provided helpful suggestions such as putting a small amount of hairspray on a boar bristle brush to smooth the flyaways and using clear mascara. I will try both techniques... thank you!)
Glowing Green Smoothie
For breakfast lately I've been drinking Kimberly Snyder's glowing green smoothie. Kimberly is the author of The Beauty Detox Solution and Beauty Detox Foods. Even though I am not a vegan I really enjoy her books because I appreciate her healthy recipes. And I tell you, this smoothie makes me feel fantastic throughout the day. I can't recommend it enough!
To hear more about these beauty topics, check out this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur
Book News
♥ The Independent Florida Alligator writes about Lessons from Madame Chic in an article called, Eating well: The Chic way.
♥ Lessons from Madame Chic is now available at Anthropologie (so happy about this... I love their selection of books!)
See you soon! x
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
5.16.2013
British Interior Design with Rebecca Leigh
My lovely sister-in-law, Rebecca Leigh, works as an interior stylist in the United Kingdom and is just now branching out her services to New York. Her style is glamorous, traditional and eclectic and her clients have ranged from conservative bankers to flamboyant rock stars. Rebecca believes that interior styling is a luxury that everyone should have. She is also an art buyer and works with some of the most prominent collectors of Warhol and Picassos in the world. Rebecca was kind enough to answer a few questions on interior styling for the Daily Connoisseur.
Pictured below are a three style boards of her work:
How do you describe modern British Interior Design?
There are many styles to British Interior Design however, the two that come to my mind are Cool Britannia and Shabby Chic.
Cool Britannia is a British Interior Design, styled around patriotism and in the 1990s, the phrase ‘shabby chic’ was coined to describe the modern laid back style. ‘Shabby’ refers to older— lived in or second-hand objects that have a distressed look about them, but not overly damaged. ‘Chic’ applies to objects which are old but definitely worth keeping.
Can you give us a few inexpensive decorating updates anyone can do to their homes?
Bargain Hunting – Try charity shops, flea markets, auctions and eBay. You can find furniture cheaply, sand it and repaint it.
Kitchens – take dingy kitchen cabinets and repaint them in fresh colours or buy white flat pack cabinets and make them look expensive by laying granite/marble worktops over them. Many companies offer ‘kitchen makeovers’ where you keep the basic shell but have the doors, worktops and tiling replaced, which can save you thousands.
Recycle - Re-use/ Up-cycling- the art of turning the tired objects you might usually throw away into beautiful, useful pieces, like an old cart into a drinks trolley !
Instant impact – Instead of wallpapering an entire room, try it on one wall only as it will immediately transform the space. Resanding and resealing woodern flooring also makes a dramatic difference. Dress up doors with elegant knobs and handles.
Paint effects – Tester pots can go a long way, especially if you want to update one piece of furniture or change a new colour. If you change one thing for me it would be paint!
Where should we splurge and where should we save?
Splurge – Sofas, mattresses, flooring and window dressing
Save – Furniture, lighting, rugs, artwork and decorative accents
You work as an Interior stylist. How is this different from a traditional interior designer?
Interior design is the crux of any living area. Spatial planning and material specification decide how the interior shell of a space will sit. With Interior Styling you add personality and charm. It focuses on items that aren’t fixed, such as furniture and accessories. Ultimately if a space is designed well, it rarely needs as much styling as one that isn’t. That can involve putting back original architecture when restoring ones' period home such as period cornices, ceiling roses, and fireplaces to look as though they have been with the house forever. Putting the soul back into the home! I never work towards a ‘themed look’ I help create a unique and eclectic look for my clients and to give them the home of their dreams.
Rebecca Leigh Interior Stylst
www.rebeccaleighstylist.com (website currently under construction)
For any inquiries, you can contact Rebecca at: loftten (at) btinternet (dot) com
Thank you Rebecca! x
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
Pictured below are a three style boards of her work:
How do you describe modern British Interior Design?
There are many styles to British Interior Design however, the two that come to my mind are Cool Britannia and Shabby Chic.
Cool Britannia is a British Interior Design, styled around patriotism and in the 1990s, the phrase ‘shabby chic’ was coined to describe the modern laid back style. ‘Shabby’ refers to older— lived in or second-hand objects that have a distressed look about them, but not overly damaged. ‘Chic’ applies to objects which are old but definitely worth keeping.
Can you give us a few inexpensive decorating updates anyone can do to their homes?
Bargain Hunting – Try charity shops, flea markets, auctions and eBay. You can find furniture cheaply, sand it and repaint it.
Kitchens – take dingy kitchen cabinets and repaint them in fresh colours or buy white flat pack cabinets and make them look expensive by laying granite/marble worktops over them. Many companies offer ‘kitchen makeovers’ where you keep the basic shell but have the doors, worktops and tiling replaced, which can save you thousands.
Recycle - Re-use/ Up-cycling- the art of turning the tired objects you might usually throw away into beautiful, useful pieces, like an old cart into a drinks trolley !
Instant impact – Instead of wallpapering an entire room, try it on one wall only as it will immediately transform the space. Resanding and resealing woodern flooring also makes a dramatic difference. Dress up doors with elegant knobs and handles.
Paint effects – Tester pots can go a long way, especially if you want to update one piece of furniture or change a new colour. If you change one thing for me it would be paint!
Where should we splurge and where should we save?
Splurge – Sofas, mattresses, flooring and window dressing
Save – Furniture, lighting, rugs, artwork and decorative accents
You work as an Interior stylist. How is this different from a traditional interior designer?
Interior design is the crux of any living area. Spatial planning and material specification decide how the interior shell of a space will sit. With Interior Styling you add personality and charm. It focuses on items that aren’t fixed, such as furniture and accessories. Ultimately if a space is designed well, it rarely needs as much styling as one that isn’t. That can involve putting back original architecture when restoring ones' period home such as period cornices, ceiling roses, and fireplaces to look as though they have been with the house forever. Putting the soul back into the home! I never work towards a ‘themed look’ I help create a unique and eclectic look for my clients and to give them the home of their dreams.
Rebecca Leigh Interior Stylst
www.rebeccaleighstylist.com (website currently under construction)
For any inquiries, you can contact Rebecca at: loftten (at) btinternet (dot) com
Thank you Rebecca! x
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
5.13.2013
Baby's First Birthday
I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! Last week was very special for us as we celebrated our youngest daughter's first birthday. I can't believe the year has flown by so quickly. We marked the occasion with delicious food, homemade cupcakes and a puppet show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Here is a picture of the buffet table. For flowers I arranged a lilac and hydrangea bouquet. It was fragrant and abundant and perfect for spring.
What you can't see in the picture are the pink streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. I was in a bit of a rush that day to get everything ready on time and did not think to take a picture!
.JPG)
For the cupcakes I made a simple vanilla cake recipe and this homemade strawberry frosting, which turned out to be so delicious. It takes a little bit of effort but is well worth it to have an all natural frosting. The strawberry flavor from this recipe is delicate and velvety. I made both the cupcakes and frosting the day before, kept them sealed and separate until the following day, then I frosted them right before the party began. (I refrigerated the frosting only.)
I also made tea sandwiches: smoked salmon with herbed cheese and cream cheese cucumber, and had assorted salads available. Even though the food looks elegant and grown-up, it was all very kid-friendly! We used paper plates and napkins decorated with fairies...
Here is a picture of Goldilocks in the puppet show, which was performed by Puppet Theater on Wheels . (I love puppet shows. Remember the one I saw on the barge in Richmond Upon Thames?)
.JPG)
And finally, a photo of the hydrangea bouquet a few days later. I change the water in the vase every day to make the arrangement last as long as possible.
As the years go on I'm having more and more fun planning these parties. It was a wonderful gathering and most important, our baby really enjoyed it... which is all that matters!
News
♥ Check out this great article in Rebellious Magazine called Creating a Mom-drobe Part 1. In the article, Megan Cottrell tries out the ten-item wardrobe for herself.
♥ Lessons from Madame Chic is mentioned on My Life in Focus blog in an article called Paris AND New York.
♥ I posted my ten-item wardrobe for spring video on Huffington Post Style and it has received a great response from the community! In the article I also answer the question: do Parisians actually call it a ten-item wardrobe?
I hope you have a wonderful week. See you soon! x
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
Here is a picture of the buffet table. For flowers I arranged a lilac and hydrangea bouquet. It was fragrant and abundant and perfect for spring.
What you can't see in the picture are the pink streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. I was in a bit of a rush that day to get everything ready on time and did not think to take a picture!
.JPG)
For the cupcakes I made a simple vanilla cake recipe and this homemade strawberry frosting, which turned out to be so delicious. It takes a little bit of effort but is well worth it to have an all natural frosting. The strawberry flavor from this recipe is delicate and velvety. I made both the cupcakes and frosting the day before, kept them sealed and separate until the following day, then I frosted them right before the party began. (I refrigerated the frosting only.)
I also made tea sandwiches: smoked salmon with herbed cheese and cream cheese cucumber, and had assorted salads available. Even though the food looks elegant and grown-up, it was all very kid-friendly! We used paper plates and napkins decorated with fairies...
Here is a picture of Goldilocks in the puppet show, which was performed by Puppet Theater on Wheels . (I love puppet shows. Remember the one I saw on the barge in Richmond Upon Thames?)
.JPG)
And finally, a photo of the hydrangea bouquet a few days later. I change the water in the vase every day to make the arrangement last as long as possible.
As the years go on I'm having more and more fun planning these parties. It was a wonderful gathering and most important, our baby really enjoyed it... which is all that matters!
News
♥ Check out this great article in Rebellious Magazine called Creating a Mom-drobe Part 1. In the article, Megan Cottrell tries out the ten-item wardrobe for herself.
♥ Lessons from Madame Chic is mentioned on My Life in Focus blog in an article called Paris AND New York.
♥ I posted my ten-item wardrobe for spring video on Huffington Post Style and it has received a great response from the community! In the article I also answer the question: do Parisians actually call it a ten-item wardrobe?
I hope you have a wonderful week. See you soon! x
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
5.06.2013
Sara Sabaté, Lisa Eldridge, What We Eat & Ten-Item Wardrobe Follow Up
In this week's video, Ten-Item Wardrobe Follow Up, I answer questions such as: Do I really wear those clothes everyday? and What do I do with clothes from prior seasons?
If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur
In this post I also thought it would be fun to share my favorite YouTube channels with you. Some of you might already be familiar with these channels, but for many, I know they will be a new treat.
Sara Sabaté
Sara Sabaté is a beauty blogger who does videos in both French and Spanish (sorry, no English!). Her hair and makeup tutorials (her chignon series are my favorite) are so informative and inspiring. You can usually follow the steps even if you don't understand what she is saying.
Here is one of my favorite videos of hers called Chignon diva 60s:
Visit her YouTube channel for more lovely tutorials.
Lisa Eldridge
Lisa Eldridge is a British makeup artist who has the most amazing YouTube channel for makeup lovers. She has such a lovely, soothing way about her (you'll see what I mean when you watch her videos) and her makeup tips are very achievable for us non-professionals. Check out her makeup tutorials on her YouTube channel.
Here is one of my favorites (surprise, surprise) 'No Make-Up' Make-up
The Hungry Planet
I ran across an article in the Daily Mail this past weekend called 'The Great Global Food Gap'. It showcased pictures from the book, The Hungry Planet, by Peter Menzel and shows portraits of families from all around the world surrounded by what they eat in a week. I was so intrigued by these photos (note the families from poorer countries eat more healthfully with more fruits and vegetables and little to no processed foods). After reading this article, I ordered The Hungry Planet and Material World: A Global Family Portrait, both by Peter Menzel.
Learning how other people live and eat has always fascinated me. I am really looking forward to reading both of these books to see if I am inspired to make changes in my own life. I'll keep you updated.
Have a wonderful week!
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
4.29.2013
Budget Ten-Item Wardrobe & A Week Off
Thank you for your great response to last week's video on my ten-item wardrobe for spring. It's already had thousands of views on YouTube and I received dozens of messages on the subject.
One reader wrote to me with concerns about the cost of clothing. Remember the ten-item wardrobe is achievable on any budget. Let's say, for example, you've decided to add an A-line skirt to your ten-item wardrobe. You could find a skirt that costs $35 as easily as one that costs $100 or more.
In the video, I showed you my wardrobe which is very personal to me. Some of the items were new and many I've had for years. Because I buy less clothing, I am able to afford higher quality clothes.
Last week, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge wore a Top Shop dress to an official engagement. She looks elegant in everything she wears, no matter how expensive or inexpensive. You must do the homework to find the brands you love that fit into your budget. It is a fun sort of research so enjoy it!
In fact, the whole process should be fun and liberating. I really enjoyed this blog post by Eleanor of Ballyhoo & Bedbugs. After reading Lessons from Madame Chic she decided to pare down her wardrobe (not to ten items but it's a start!) and she has fun in the process. That's what it's all about!
There will be no video this week. I am taking some time off to relax and also to work on a creative project I can't get off my mind...
I hope you have a lovely week and I will see you soon!
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
One reader wrote to me with concerns about the cost of clothing. Remember the ten-item wardrobe is achievable on any budget. Let's say, for example, you've decided to add an A-line skirt to your ten-item wardrobe. You could find a skirt that costs $35 as easily as one that costs $100 or more.
In the video, I showed you my wardrobe which is very personal to me. Some of the items were new and many I've had for years. Because I buy less clothing, I am able to afford higher quality clothes.
Last week, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge wore a Top Shop dress to an official engagement. She looks elegant in everything she wears, no matter how expensive or inexpensive. You must do the homework to find the brands you love that fit into your budget. It is a fun sort of research so enjoy it!
In fact, the whole process should be fun and liberating. I really enjoyed this blog post by Eleanor of Ballyhoo & Bedbugs. After reading Lessons from Madame Chic she decided to pare down her wardrobe (not to ten items but it's a start!) and she has fun in the process. That's what it's all about!
There will be no video this week. I am taking some time off to relax and also to work on a creative project I can't get off my mind...
I hope you have a lovely week and I will see you soon!
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
4.22.2013
My Ten-Item Wardrobe Spring 2013
It's finally here! My ten-item wardrobe video for spring 2013. I wanted to do something a little different this time so the video presents a fashion show.
The ten-item wardrobe is all about having fun with fashion and freeing yourself from a confused closet packed with too many clothes. If ten core items are not enough for you, boost it up to fifteen or even twenty. Just do what works for you. I'm sticking to ten (or eleven as you will see in the video) to show you how it can be done but if you need more blouses, for example, then add them in. You know if you are going overboard with shopping/ hoarding clothes. Just do a gut check with yourself and see if you have more items than you need.
As far as extras go, I really only show tee shirts in this video. I don't show cocktail dresses, cardigans, etc. I just wanted to show you the bare essentials for an everyday wardrobe.
Also, you will note that most of my shoes in the video are by London Sole... Many of you already know the reason why this is but for those who don't, the mystery is revealed in the video!
Some items are new and available now in stores, some items I've had for years (you will probably recognize a few). Here are a list of the websites for all of the brands featured. All of the clothes in this video were purchased by me. I have no affiliation with any of these brands (other than our beloved London Sole).
London Sole http://www.londonsole.com
Rebecca Taylor http://www.rebeccataylor.com
Tory Burch http://www.toryburch.com
Stacia (bamboo knit dress) http://www.shopstacia.com
Equipment (great, high quality silk blouses) http://www.equipmentfr.com
J Crew http://www.jcrew.com
A.P.C. http://usonline.apc.fr
Banana Republic http://www.bananarepublic.com
Club Monaco http://www.clubmonaco.com
Oliver Peoples http://www.oliverpeoples.com
Monserat de Lucca http://www.monseratdelucca.com
AG Adriano Goldschmied (jeans) http://www.agjeans.com
Gap http://www.gap.com
If you are unable to see the embedded video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur
I would love to know... what will your ten-item wardrobe look like this spring?
**The music in this video is composed by me.
♥ If you are new to the blog and want to get a more in-depth insight into the ten-item wardrobe, check out my book, Lessons from Madame Chic.
♥ For even more on the ten-item wardrobe, pick up the latest issue of Darling Magazine where I've written an original piece accompanied by a European photo shoot! P.S. This magazine is amazing. It is full of really thought provoking articles on what it means to be a woman.
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
4.15.2013
Looking Presentable As A Busy Mom
I recently came across some pictures of my great-grandparents that dated all the way from 1908 to 1944. I am completely mesmerized by them and marvel at how my ancestors lived in such a different way than we do now. One thing I took note of: both my grandmother and great-grandmother looked so presentable and put together, from their hair to their shoes. Some pictures were special occasion shots but others were candid shots of them taken on a normal day. They looked presentable everyday. Boy how times have changed!
Decades from now when my daughters think of me I don't want them to remember a mom who was frazzled and frumpy all the time— constantly in sweats or yoga pants— only getting it together on special occasions. This week's video shares four of my tips for looking presentable everyday as a busy mom, particularly with small children. If you are unable to see my embedded video, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur
News
♥ The hilarious Bill Leff of WGN radio interviewed me last week on my Eliza Dolittle moments in Paris. You can listen to our interview here.
♥ Erin Gates of Elements of Style blog picks her own version of a ten-item wardrobe and reviews Lessons from Madame Chic in her Fashion Friday post.
♥ Sewing Artistry writes: Madame Chic Has A New Fan!!! Moi!!
♥ Write in Seattle writes an article called, From blog to book: The delicious "Lessons from Madame Chic".
♥ Laura Gail Claassen of The Chic Planner writes about her own experience with the ten-item wardrobe.
♥ Claire from the Land of Lorp explores her own spring uniform inspired by Lessons from Madame Chic.
Visit my Author Website
Like my Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
