Simply Extraordinary

“The only difference between an extraordinary life and an ordinary one is the extraordinary pleasures you find in ordinary things.” ― Veronique Vienne, The Art of Imperfection

Sometimes it’s the little things that make ordinary life feel extraordinary. Here are the little pleasures that help me to feel happier:

• A place for everything and everything in its place — Nothing feels better than a clean, well-organized home.

• A neutral palate — I like my home and my wardrobe composed of good quality, clean/classic staples punctuated with special pieces that reflect my unique taste, personality, and experiences.

• Fresh flowers from my own garden in summer, from Sendik’s or Trader Joe’s year round — I like to divide preassembled bouquets into multiple vases and enjoy them throughout the house

• Fragrant candles — My favorites are White Tea and Sage (Bath and Body Works/White Barn), Hemingway (Fly Paper), Roses (Diptyque)

• Chilled Champagne in the fridge regardless of whether it’s a holiday or a Tuesday

• Coffee with frothed milk and either lavender syrup (spring and summer) or a sprinkle of cinnamon (fall and winter)

• Carefully curated playlists on Apple Music and stations on Pandora

  • J’adore Paris when I’m missing Paris or making galettes, soupe à l'oignon gratinée, etc.

  • Sailing on warm summer evenings or cold winter nights when I wish I were sailing again

  • Cool jazz/Vince Guaraldi radio in the fall

  • My own Christmas and Halloween mixes

• Amazon Alexa to control my music, thermostat, and lighting as well as to ask simple questions about the weather, my schedule, etc.

• Guilty pleasure TV while I’m getting ready in the mornings (Emily in Paris, Gilmore Girls, Friends, Making the Cut, The Great British Baking Show, etc.)

• Low maintenance makeup routines: No mascara (hooray for a good lash lift and tint) and long lasting mani-pedis.

• Having a lip gloss and hand lotion in my purse, bathroom, car, and desk so I never have to go without

• Wearing my favorite perfume everyday even when I’m not going anywhere

• A cozy blanket, cup of tea, and a good book.

• Fragrant hand soaps and lotion in the kitchen and bathrooms — Current favorite: Savon liquide de Marseilles - Thé Blanc

• Merino wool sweaters and socks

• Having a clean car inside and out — Thanks, Eric

• Festive, seasonal cocktail napkins with my morning coffee and evening wine or cocktail

• Reader comments on my blog posts (Merci)

A Very Nice Day

“I have nothing but gratitude to you for sharing that experience with me because it is a communion…You have this special connection with someone if you're their first record or their first concert or their first poster or whatever it is… A [grown] women will walk up to me and I see the little girl in her eyes.” — Shaun Cassidy

Sunday, June 19th could have been a sad day. Father’s Day makes me miss my dad even more and, this year, June 19th is the fifth anniversary of my mom’s passing. Instead of dwelling in sadness, we spent the day doing wonderful things. We started the day watching E boat races and enjoying lunch on the deck of the beautiful Lake Geneva Yacht Club.

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In the evening, we had a cocktail at the Gatsby Speakeasy of the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois before Shaun Cassidy’s Magic of a Midnight Sky concert. My mom first took me to see Shaun Cassidy in 1978 at Alpine Valley. I was eleven and completely starstruck. This time, the theatre was filled with women in their fifties and a few very supportive husbands (Thank you, Eric) who all thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the songs that Shaun performed. It was a lovely day. I think Mom and Dad (whom called Shaun Cassidy “that whippersnapper”) would approve.

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Click here for my videos of Shaun Cassidy’s Magic of a Midnight Sky Tour on June 19, 2022 at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois.

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Gardenias

“Sultry as a summer evening and as intoxicating as an exotic perfume, the scent of gardenias settles like a memory onto your soul. The blossoms are just as enticing. Buds shaped like seashells unfurl into velvet soft flowers in the warmth and humidity of early evening. But it's the fragrance that captivates.” — Van Chaplin

When I saw this planter at Stein’s Garden Center, I knew it would be perfect for our deck. I also knew I wanted something tall to plant in it. I found this “tree” on clearance and didn’t even read the tag until I got it home. Who grows gardenias in Wisconsin? I figured that, even if it didn’t bloom, the waxy leaves would be pretty for our planter this summer. Six weeks later, I began to notice tiny buds that grew into intriguing spirals. On July 22th, our 15th anniversary, the first blossom appeared. I was immediately enchanted by its symmetry, by its pure white petals that only a day later curled under to create a perfect cylinder to attract honeybees and hummingbirds, and most of all, by its intoxicating fragrance!

Our first blossom — July 22, 2020

3 flowers have blooms so far…

French Friday: Fleurs fanées

« Sache que la fleur la plus belle est aussi la plus tôt fanée. Sur son parfum penche-toi vit. L’immortelle n’a pas d’odeur. »

- André Gide

It’s one of the things I love most about Paris — you never know when you’re going to stumble upon something beautiful. On the morning of my birthday, we were walking down the rue Cambon to pay our respects to Karl at Chanel when we witnessed the changing of the fleurs. Apparently these lovely white tulips (my favorites!), pale pink ranunculus, and purple and white anemones were too wilted to stand before the formidable Mademoiselle so they were replaced with fresh white hydrangeas (another favorite) and calla lilies (not a fan). Still, I couldn’t help but feel like these discarded beauties were like a birthday bouquet that are now preserved forever in my memory and on my blog.

February Celebrations

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” - Oprah Winfrey

This weekend, we are celebrating a belated Valentine’s Day + an early birthday with a few of my favorite things…

Brunch at my favorite Lake Park Bistro

Remember her?

MAM After Dark

A sneak peak of Bouguereau & America at the Milwaukee Art Museum (I’ll show you more in April.)

French Friday: Encore Paris

« Jamais deux sans trois. » - Proverbe française

They say that the third time’s a charm, so I’m looking forward to my third annual February trip to Paris. Several of you have asked me if I ever get tired of going to the same places and doing the same things year after year. Well, of course I’d like to discover new places. I dream of visiting Scandinavia. Scotland and Greece are high on my list, and I would like to spend more time in Ireland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Italy. But I need to return to France on a regular basis.

Paris feeds me literally, linguistically, artistically, and spiritually. I go to Paris to practice my French, to visit friends, to capture the beauty in both words and images. How could I ever get tired of browsing through book stalls along the Seine, sprawling outdoor markets or galleries in some of the world’s greatest museums; of sipping tea at the Ritz, cocktails at the Hemingway Bar or wine in a sidewalk café; of strolling along the Champs-Élysées or in the Palais-Royal; of window shopping (or really shopping) in the Paris’ most fashionable neighborhoods and grands magasins; of hearing the bells of Notre Dame or street musicians playing La Vie en Rose? Ernest Hemingway said, “Paris is a moveable feast” — a feast for all of your senses, and I have an insatiable appetite!