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riverheadbooks · 8 years ago

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READER HOROSCOPES FOR APRIL 2017

Your monthly constellation of literary consultation

ARIES

Get those bottles popping and candles lit - it’s your birthday and the whole world needs to know! Aries season, your season, is upon, and heavens help whoever isn’t ready. That’s no joke - there are five retrogrades in store this month, so proceed with caution. Turning a year older and wiser is having an incredible effect on your ambition - your focus has narrowed down to number one! You have goals to pursue, opportunities to grab, and you simply don’t have the time to be anything but 100% committed to making those dreams happen. We won’t discourage you, but be aware of naysayers who may pop up trying to cramp your style. There will always be people who take personal offense to your capacity to shine, and regardless of their reasons, it’s in your best interest to do all you can to separate yourself from that negativity. That’s right - separate. There is a time to try to talk through someone’s issues with you, slow down your progress, and work through the reasons behind someone’s ire - a retrograde is not that time! Breathe deeply - inhale peace, exhale stress - and focus on how you can channel the wisdom you’ve accrued in all the years you’ve lived to help you make your mark on the world. And while you’re taking all of these deep, fortifying breaths, why not take in some amazing scents? Your lucky book this month is probably unlike anything you’ve read recently, or maybe ever - all the more reason to dive in! Let Mandy Aftel, master perfumologist, walk you through the history and philosophy behind the scents we love and love to hate, the scents that stir up emotions we weren’t even totally aware of. Best of all, she’ll equip you with the knowledge to create some delicious perfumes of your own - how’s that for some birthday self-love?

LUCKY BOOK: Fragrant by Mandy Aftel

TAURUS

Go on, take a load off, Taurus. You’re feeling particularly zapped of energy this month, but don’t worry, it will pass - eventually. This month’s retrogrades are about to do a number on you, so be prepared! Retrogrades tend to force us to reflect on the past: what went wrong and how to set things in place in order to move forward smoothly. Where have you been avoiding closure? What divergent areas of your life could use better transitions? Take advantage of your need to slow your pace a bit this month by thinking about how to retrace your steps to clear your head and clear the air as your birthday rapidly approaches. You don’t want is to be caught in the same situations you know you should have outgrown a long time ago. Visualize your areas of growth like a long, winding body of water - where are the blockages? What do you need to filter out and clear away? No more cutting corners - if one area is clogged with toxicity, it will likewise ruin the entire stream. While you take the time to think about how best to tackle the lurking issues in your past, take some inspiration and knowledge from your lucky book this month, an eye-opening examination of the source of all life: water. Where does it come from, where is it going, and what happens when it’s threatened? You’ll enter your birthday season feeling infinitely more prepared for whatever is ahead - and with an even greater appreciation for .

LUCKY BOOK: Where the Water Goes by David Owen

GEMINI

Well helloooo, hotshot! You’re in high demand these days, aren’t you? Your popularity is off the charts this month, Gem, so enjoy this time in spotlight. It seems that no one can get enough of you, and keeping up with your own dance card is quickly becoming another full-time job. Good for you: you’ve been working hard to improve your public profile and networking skills, so it’s great to see them paying off! Beware the retrogrades on the horizon, however. The temptation is strong to make new friends and ditch the old, but you know the old song: one is silver, the other gold - both precious. Keep your foundation steady and strong before you attempt to stack more on top. If there’s a friendship in your life that you’ve been ignoring in favor of your new acquaintances, it may be time to reevaluate your priorities and make sure your original friendships are on solid ground. This is a bad time for drama - not only are you more in the public eye than you’ve ever been, but you’re a Gemini: you know how quickly circumstances can flip and up can suddenly become down. Hold on to the people in your life who have been there from the beginning - if things go awry, they are the people you can count on. And if you find yourself craving some drama, your lucky book has your back. Badass female assassins, superhuman abilities, hilarious workplace shenanigans, all with a Buffy-esque flair - you’re in for a literary treat this month. Dive in!

LUCKY BOOK: The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales

CANCER

All systems go, Cancer! You’re a busy bee this month, flitting from this activity to that with barely enough time to take a breath in between. There are places you want to go, new heights you want to reach, and the only way to get there is to work, seemingly non-stop. Your drive is admirable, Cancer, truly. But I must warn you, the retrogrades in store for this month will absolutely throw a wrench in your plans - but by being prepared, you can possibly mitigate their effects by knowing what to expect from yourself. Thus far, you’ve felt totally in control, on top of your game, and honestly, pretty fantastic. Making moves suits you, and you know it does, so you’ve got some swagger in your step. Great for your self-esteem, but it may bite you in the behind when the planets’ movements start to send your emotions haywire. You’re going to start noticing the flaws in your family and friends that you feel need fixing. It’s a lovely impulse, if a bit insulting; no one likes to be berated or make to feel inadequate for simply being human. You’re not Iyanla, they don’t need you to fix their life. Rather, avoid some unnecessary friction with the people you love most and suffer your opinions in silence. This is not the time to try to bring other people’s mistakes or shortcomings to light, no matter how fantastic you’re feeling in comparison - there is usually a log in your eye to deal with before you attempt to point out the speck in someone else’s. Instead, keep pursuing the things that are meaningful to you. Work hard to become a better you. But keep your eyes open for areas of potential growth. Your lucky book this month is a gentle, illuminating story of a woman who found love and new convictions in an unlikely place - let this be your respite from the frenetic pace of your day-to-day. You may discover something you didn’t know you were missing.

LUCKY BOOK: The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill

LEO

Adventure beckons, Leo! Springtime tends to bring with it a quickening, the feeling of restlessness and impatience, and all you want to do right now is set off on a brand new path towards the unknown. Can’t say we blame you! However, if you’re currently find yourself lacking the means to jet off and escape your usual orbit at the moment, there’s nothing wrong with venturing out within your neighborhood, or maybe a town or two over, and exploring places you’ve never visited. There is always something new to discover, new people to meet, new experiences make memories of - so don’t feel beholden to taking trips you simply cannot afford in the name of wanderlust. Either way, whether you’re still home or abroad, you can’t escape the retrogrades on the horizon. One of your main concerns, Leo, is your desire to partner with other people for either personal or professional reasons. A wonderful thing, to be sure, but your judgment may be just a bit skewed this month - hey, don’t shoot the messenger, blame the planets. Be careful before entering into any binding agreements this month - examine your relationships and the terms of your contract deeply to be sure that they aren’t taking advantage of you, or potentially putting you in a situation you don’t need to be in. Trust is a precious thing - treat it that way. The characters in your lucky book learn this lesson well: chock-full of scandal and gossip in a 16th century French royal court, this is the perfect primer on guarding your secrets until you can be sure of who to entrust them with - you never know who may not have your best interests at heart.

LUCKY BOOK: The Devils of Cardona by Matthew Carr

VIRGO

This is a month of intense focus for you, Virgo, and considering your usual proclivities, that’s saying something! Maybe it’s a subconscious pre-empting of the chaos that accompanies a retrograde - much less five - but this month, you know exactly what you want, how you want to get it, and what the reward may be. At this point, there is precious little that can slow you down. You may not want to hear this, but this could be the perfect time for you to find that kindred spirit to partner with on this project. Two heads can truly be better than one, provided you choose your co-collaborator wisely. One word of caution - you’re placing so much stock into this passion project, so much time and energy, that it can become difficult to extricate yourself from your work. Try to be aware of when this is happening, because the inevitable setbacks and misunderstandings then have the potential to grow into major, insurmountable issues. Beware how quickly you can bypass ‘annoyed’ or ‘frustrated’ and dive straight into anger, despite your best intentions. Focus on summoning compassion - it’s free, it feels better in the long run, and it causes less wrinkles (seriously!). You’re in very capable hands with your lucky book this month - written by none other than the master of the arts of compassion and mercy, Anne Lamott. Retreat into a chapter or two whenever you begin to feel yourself spiral, and remember to take a few breaths. You’re going to get where you want to go, Virgo, one way or another. Believe that.

LUCKY BOOK: Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott

LIBRA

Hey there, lovely Libra. This month is all about relationships for you, and how to deepen your bond with your chosen #1 - whether that’s your partner, your BFF, or your sibling. With all of the retrogrades that are on their way, you may begin to feel a significant need to take a load off. Lean into this impulse; the planets have their ways of urging us to reset when there is unfinished business in our lives. What have you been holding in lately? What have you been trying to gather the courage to say, and what is keeping your mouth closed? You can only go so long feeling happy and fulfilled in a relationship that has become shrouded by lies of omission, no matter how you may try to convince yourself otherwise. Two is the most important number for you this month, so do yourself a favor and put some serious thought into how to unburden yourself - you may be surprised with their reaction! Your lucky book this month is the perfect accompaniment to your current struggle - it focuses on two young women in 1950s Houston, Texas - one of them the quintessential “it” girl who everyone either wants to date or wants to emulate; the other, her best friend, somewhere between babysitter and co-conspirator. When the it girl goes off the rails, it’s her best friend’s job to pluck up the courage to bring her back to her senses - and accept the attendant consequences. See what happens when a friend is confronted with a tough decision - and acts. Your time for inaction has passed, but that’s not necessarily reason to fear - you may find that saying what you’re really thinking is the best decision you ever made.

LUCKY BOOK: The After Party by Anton DiSclafani

SCORPIO

Hello, spring, and hello, Scorpio! No matter where you live, the arrival of the spring months can have a serious rejuvenating effect on your psyche. It's a time for new beginnings, fresh outlooks, and clean slates. Clean, indeed - another impulse of spring is the tidying one, and it's hitting you hard this month. Excellent! Whether it be your home, your body, your mind, or all three (seriously, bravo), your number one focus this month is getting into shape, clearing away old clutter, and using the arrival of a new season as a reset button. Be aware: there are several retrogrades this month; be on the alert for their influence over your emotions. In the midst of the thorough emotional scrubbing you're doing, don't be surprised if you receive a surprise DM or late-night text from a certain someone you'd sworn off long ago. The funny thing about retrogrades is right in the name - things from our past tend to pop up and test our commitment to the here and now. Feel whatever emotion that naturally arises - there is precious little you can do about that - but then, move right past it. You don't owe anybody your time or energy, especially if you've already made the decision to stop giving it to them. Resist the urge to rehash old wrongdoings, put down your phone, and pick up your lucky book: a heartfelt and hilarious collection of short stories by a woman who has attended one too many weddings. Every union is a new beginning of sorts, and despite the flak perpetual wedding guests sometimes receive, witnessing the foundational moments of someone else’s love can be surprisingly instructive. If you need to scribble some notes in the margins, we won't tell.

LUCKY BOOK: Save the Date by Jen Doll

SAGITTARIUS

Joy to the world, April has come! Okay, wrong season, same sentiment. You are one happy Sag this month - people have been noticing your glowing skin, sparkling eyes, and infectious laugh. Where did this energy come from? Who knows? (Who cares?) After being a hermit for the past few weeks, maybe it's simply the restorative power of being back outside and interacting with more people. Either way, take advantage of this positive energy and make the most of it - pursue that opportunity you've been watching and waiting to act on, make that scary phone call to the person who's been expecting to hear from you. But keep in mind that there are a fair few retrogrades in store for this month, which can throw your priorities for a loop. It can be easy to allow yourself to get carried away with this new abundance of energy; try to be mindful of this! Despite what you're feeling, you actually can't do it all, neither should you aspire to. What are the projects that have been sitting on the back burner? The ideas you've already devoted love and care to, and now just need to act on? That's where you should focus your attention, rather than spreading yourself thin by taking on even more. Your lucky book this month is a poignant counterbalance to your mood this month - a collection of essays about the seven years separating the author’s son’s birth from his father’s death, and the heartwarming, heartbreaking, hilarious moments that occurred between. Let it be a reminder of the unpredictability of life - and inspiration to live it as fully and as well as you can.

LUCKY BOOK: The Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret

CAPRICORN

Hey, sweet Capricorn. That squashy chair sure is comfortable, isn't it? This month, you're all about that home life: maybe you're taking on a renovation project, trying out some new baking recipes, or maybe it means spending time with your tribe, the people you love and who love you the most. Either way, your ideal April looks somewhat like a huge Snuggie, maybe a cup of tea, and some quality catch-up sessions with friends and family. We support this wholeheartedly, especially in light of the retrogrades coming your way - you’re to want to be surrounded by people who understand and care about you. Because despite your comfy socks and sweatshirt, you are not totally at ease - your career is an area of particular concern to you right now. Take this time to reflect on your current trajectory. What are you headed towards? What are you moving away from? Is this the direction you wanted to go with your life, or have you abandoned a dream to pursue something you aren’t sure you actually need? It’s okay to second guess your decisions sometimes, and always better to think through those gut feelings than to ignore them. This is when being in the midst of friends and family can help - soliciting a second or third opinion can be invaluable when you’ve been stuck at a crossroads for quite some time. Be open about your fears, and receptive to the advice coming your way. And to give yourself a break from this intense internal restructuring, your lucky book is waiting: a highly addictive, spellbinding collection of short stories about the ties that bind, the flawed world we live in, and what happens when things go topsy-turvy. A perfect escape within your escape.

LUCKY BOOK: What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

AQUARIUS

Look at you go, Aquarius! Your April is already off to a rousing start, with all of the exploring you’re doing. Good for you! March was an insular kind of month for you - whether because of a heavy work load, emotional load, or you were just plain exhausted - but now you’re ready to grab life by the horns once more. Keep this up! Be proactive in doing the things you enjoy, the things that make YOU happy, regardless of what you fear other people may think. Retrogrades are brewing this month, Aquarius, and for you, they can come with a boatload of self-doubt. You know your own propensity for negative self-talk and not trusting your own desires, so rather than wait for those feelings to take over, do the important work of reaffirming your own self-worth and confidence. Use your outings to find like-minded people; kindred spirits who you feel comfortable turning to for some subtle validation on your more melancholy days. Treat yourself to a massage or a matinee - life is short, so why not be kind to yourself? There is no one right way to do things, no matter what you may be accustomed to telling yourself, so let your explorations be open-ended. Your lucky book this month deals with one of the most polarizing and contentious topics with a similar approach: she presents the case for agnosticism, and the freedom in acknowledging everything we don’t know. There’s no shame in admitting the limits of our knowledge, and wanting to be our authentic selves, whatever that means for you. Own it!

LUCKY BOOK: Agnostic by Lesley Hazleton

PISCES

Time to get up and get going, Pisces! You have a lot of ideas, but thus far, not nearly as much follow-through - but this month is when you change that! Think about it: how can you kick your productivity into gear? Set more alarms? Write more to-do lists? Find an accountability partner? Whatever works best for you, start now and stick with it - it will be tough, but you can do it. Best to get this month off to a busy productive start than wait for the impending retrogrades to sap you of your creative energy. But when that time does come, and you’re feeling sick and tired of the same old, same old, here’s an idea: do a bit a tidying up. Not your room or kitchen, necessarily (although that’s never a bad idea), but specifically, examine your wardrobe, your haircut, your shoe situation. Maybe the slump you’ve been in can be attributed to a subconscious desire for a physical change. Hey, they say not to judge a book by its cover, but everyone does it anyway, right? And there is much to be said for the ways that outward appearance can transform inward confidence. There’s something undeniably powerful about looking into a mirror and being happy with what you see - it can add a spring to your step, it can make you more likely to speak and be heard, and just appreciate the world a bit more. Donate the things you’ve outgrown to a local charity and experience the immediate psychological benefits of physically removing objects that carry outdated negative energy from your space. Your lucky book this month is all about the enduring impact of past mistakes on a small town, and the ways that those mistakes can have a ripple effect on multiple families within that community. When tragedy strikes, who is to blame? How do you reconcile the reality of the present with the ignorance of the past? Sometimes a facelift can be the first step to a deeper reconfiguring within.

LUCKY BOOK: Friendswood by René Steinke

#riverhead #riverhead books #horoscope #reader horoscope #readerscope #aries #aries season #april horoscope #book recs #spring reads #astrology #retrograde

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toddrogersfl · 6 years ago

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Oil’s well that ends well… 5 fragranced oils your body needs now

‘Our crimes would depair, if they were not cherished by our virtues’ says Shakespeare in All’s Well That Ends Well; and so too will our bodies despair, if not cherished by fragranced oils in cold weather.

You will have to forgive the laboured punning, because I simply couldn’t resist, and it also happens to be true.

Winter takes its toll on our skin, so if you’re not slathering yourelf in something luxuriously moisturising, your fragrance simply wont last as long. Scent evaporates according to how dry your skin is, so if you’re closseted away in layers of wool and central-heating, your normal fragrance may need topping up throughout the day, even if it usually lasts well. And if it’s alcohol based – as most spray perfumes are – that’s going to dry your skin out even further.

Another temptation during grey, cold days is to soak for as long as possible in a steaming hot bath, but Jessica Weiser, from the New York Dermatology Group, explains, ‘Hot water depletes natural oils from the skin’s surface, leaving it dry and more susceptible to conditions like eczema,’ Best practice is to only use lukewarm water but really, where’s the fun in that? Personally I like to semi-boil myself like a lobster – all the more appealing in a scented bath – so keep the water piping hot if you like, but try and limit your soaking time to ten minutes, Weiser advises.

Yes, that seems sensible. But I can tell you now, that ain’t gonna happen, Jessica. If I’m putting in all the admin of running a bath, I’m going to be in there until I emerge like a perfumed prune. So we need a back-up plan to rehydrate. This is the time to reach for fabulously fragranced oils to layer-up your scent game, making it last longer and with the added benefit of de-pruning you, too.

Don’t worry about ‘matching’ your fragrance to these – use them instead to add facets to a favourite scent – or simply enjoy them on their own…

This is a perennial favourite, and sort of smells like paradise. Monoï is a Tahitian word simply meaning ‘scented oil’, and is made using a kind of enfleurage technique by soaking gardenia petals in coconut oil. Infused with further coconut and tropical wafts of frangipani flowers, Elemis have basically bottled the smell of a holiday in this multi-use product. Use in the bath, all over the body and even as a weekly hair treatment. The oil solidifies in cooler temperatures, so pop the bottle in a bowl of warm water to return it to a silky liquid – I just put my bottle right in the bath with me until it melts, and then baste myself as though I were a perfumed poussin.

Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil £38.50 for 100ml

For a truly indulgent scented experience, I cannot recommend Mandy Aftel’s body and hair elixir enough. Originally created as a bespoke fragrance for none other than Leonard Cohen, Ancient Resins resonates with frankincense, Balm of Gilead – not the republic in The Handmaid’s Tale, thank goodness, but the name of a balsam made from poplar buds, which smell like honeyed musk – along with benzoin, elemi, and labdanum: oils cherished for centuries for their healing properties. Boswellia Frankincense resins have been scientifically tested to prove their pain-relieving anti-inflammatory qualities, so couldn’t be more ideal for this time of year. A few drops used to scent a bath (will actually scent your entire house), slathered on to soothe and nourish skin, or stroked through ends of hair and rubbed in to burnish a beard – it would seem especially pertinent listening to Cohen’s album New Skin For The Old Ceremony while you annoint yourself with this divine oil.

Mandy Aftel Ancient Resins Body & Hair Elixir $45 for 50ml or $6 for 2ml sample (great for travelling)

A heftier price, yes, but the extravagent dose of Turkish rose will truly stay with you all day, infused as it is with a deeply fabulous patchouli heart and resting on a bed of sandalwood and frankincense. Clove, blackcurrant and raspberry ‘binds the perfume together for a final movement of symphonic femininity’ say Malle, but we know many men who delight in wearing the fragrance too, and this isn’t merely a pretty rose that blushes and swoons. All those resins add a purring depth that radiates naughtiness, albeit in a very refined way. I think the lady in question would be Lady Chatterley – admiring her roses and indulging in a bit of rumpy pumpy among the petals whenever possible. Sprinkle into a bath, massage into hair and cover with a warm towel for 15 minutes before rinsing, and be sure to lavish your limbs all over.

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady Hair & Body Oil £138 for 200ml

I really haven’t stopped wanging on about how wonderful SJP Stash is since the genderless ‘fragrance for humans’ was first launched in 2016, but now I can frolic in accompanying body and hair products like this oil – and a beautifully scented hair mist for lighter application – as well. There’s something about the composition of incense and vetiver infused with unexpected notes like sage, pistachio, grapefruit and warming black pepper, that makes it smell at least three times more expensive than it is, and about a million miles away from what you’d expect a ‘celebrity scent’ to smell like. It’s hard to find fault with either the original perfume or this nourishing treat, to wear together or used to add an ambery glow to fragrances you find a little bit “meh” on cold, grey days like these.

SJP Stash Hair & Body Oil £35 for 30ml

To mark Baccarat’s 250th anniversary, the niche house of MFK united with the iconic crystal house to create the fragrance – and it’s proved a smash-hit success all over the world. Now fans can cover themselves in the decadently rich oil as well – warm ambergris and cedarwood buoyed by the sunshine jasmine affords to balance and brighten this otherwise woody fragrance, with distinct undertones of caramelised brown sugar to my nose. Argan, sweet almond and apricot kernel oils have been used as the base, making this a gorgeously moisturising but never greasy oil. Perfect to spray on in a hurry just before dressing and dashing outdoors, it’s proving equally successful (with some department strores reporting waiting lists), so if you see a bottle and know you love the perfume already, my advice would be not to procrastinate…

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Body Oil £75 for 70ml

By Suzy Nightingale

The post Oil’s well that ends well… 5 fragranced oils your body needs now appeared first on The Perfume Society.

from The Perfume Society https://perfumesociety.org/oils-well-that-ends-well-slather-on-the-scent-with-5-fragranced-body-oils/

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zillowcondo · 7 years ago

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This & That: October 20, 2017

Books

—Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World by Iddo Landou

I was reading my daily Wall Street Journal and came across a review of Iddo Landou’s new book Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World. I am curious to read it as much of what he is asserting has to do with letting go of perfectionism as it destroys our ability to enjoy the everyday. Sounds simple, but, especially in America, we tend to be unconsciously driven to thrive and attain success monetarily and especially in the eyes of others. In actuality, he points out, knowing how to appreciate the small and daily events is the key to finding meaning and more deeply enjoying our lives.

—The Fulitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Grieving and Reading by Anne Gielson

Centering around a group of friends in New Orleans who form the Existential Crisis Reading Group, nicknamed by the members of the group, The Fulitarians, the book is a memoir depicting the gatherings, the life struggles and the literature enjoyed along the way.

—Girl Up: Kick Ass, Claim Your Woman Card and Crush Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

Released this past July in the states, and already an international best-seller, Laura Bates offers young woman (and why not all women) direct and no nonsense advice on navigating social media, understanding sexism and mental health. Sharing the pressures from society that are singular and oppressive – be beautiful and thin, Bates shatters and liberates the reality of what is possible for all individuals.

Cookbooks

—The Art of Flavor: Practices and Principles for Creating Delicious Food by Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel

I first learned of Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel’s cookbook as Patterson came to a favorite restaurant in Portland recently, Coquine, partnering with the restaurant for a special event to showcase the new cookbook. Revealing the four rules for creating flavor, as well as the seven dials that will enable you to fine-tune a dish, if you are looking to understand how the flavor you seek in your cooking is crafted, pick up this new resource.

—Bravetart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks

In a recent episode of The Splendid Table, the new host of The Splendid Table Francis Lam interviewed James Beard nominated food writer and award winning pastry chef Stella Parks as her new cookbook was just released this past August. In Bravetart you will not only receive delectable recipes for classic American desserts, but the stories behind each of them, how they truly began and why Red Velvet Cake didn’t remain as it was originally described, a red, brownish cake.

Shopping

—Acne Canada Narrow wool scarf (other colors available)

The scarves of wool and warmth are beginning to be needed, and Acne’s stunning crisp blue wool scarf is available at a reasonable price for an item that will no doubt be used for many years to come.

—Sézane Barry Jumper (many colors available)

Yesterday, the weekly Outfit fo the Week was inspired by many other items available at the French label Sézane, but I couldn’t help but share this jumper which is available in ecru, gray, red, black and many more colors. Made of 35% superkid mohair and 35% baby alpaga in Italy, scoop up this cozy sweater, cardigan option.

Television

—Berlin Station on Epix

If you have Hulu, perhaps you already know about Berlin Station. Kicking off their second season, the drama is centered around a CIA agent Daniel Miller (Richard Armitage) who is based at their foreign station in Berlin, Germany. With a challenging mission: to uncover the source of a leak who has supplied information to a now-famous whistleblower named Thomas Shaw, the talent is deep (Ashley Judd – just added to season 2, Rhys Ifans, Richard Jenkins, Michelle Forbes and Leland Orser) as the the first episode of the new season kicked off this past Sunday (and the late David Bowie composed the theme music). Check out the trailer below:

youtube

~recipe for Chocolate Brioche~

A beautiful week was enjoyed and much seemed to provoke an appreciative breath of tranquility and contentment. From wrapping up a project I have been working on for a few months and bringing it to you, TSLL readers, catching up with grading at school, kicking the lingering cold in the tush once and for all and putting the yard to bed for the winter, such steps of progress, small, yet significant, make Friday’s arrival all the sweeter.

How was your week? I do hope it as well was one that brought productivity, deep breaths of appreciation and now the abillity to savor and do as you need and please.

Before I forget, I want to send out a tremendous thank you to Apartment Therapy for including The Simple Sophisticate podcast on their list of podcasts to listen to when it comes to taking care of our homes (see the entire list here), as well as a thank you to TSLL reader Suzi for bringing it to my attention. This week on the podcast, exciting news was announced about an upcoming guest, so be sure to check it out, (read or tune in) to episode #179.

And now to the weekend. Below, more than a few articles you may want to read and enjoy. Until Monday, bonne journée.

~Fashion Month may be over, but The New York Times Style section has rounded up their favorite street style looks from the four fashion destinations.

~David Leibovitz shares six ways to Entertain Like a Parisian (psst . . . did you hear about David’s upcoming visit on The Simple Sophisticate? Yep, learn more here.) And check out his Parisian kitchen which is a crucial part of his apartment which is the subject of his new book.

~Since we’re talking about Paris . . . the Best Places to Walk in the City of Light

~Looking for love and are HSP? Check out this article.

~I am looking forward to listening to this episode of Pardon My French on my walk this weekend

~Mayim Bialik’s opinion piece inspired by the Weinstein scandal and being a femininist is a worthwhile and thoughtful read.

~Never leave home without your camera (or your phone) and discvoer 5 Ways Photography Can Change Your Outlook on Life

This & That: October 20, 2017 published first on http://ift.tt/2pewpEF

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