The Simply Luxurious Life®: September 2011  

September 30, 2011

Christian Dior – Spring 2012

Bill Gaytten’s first ready-to-wear collection since John Galliano’s abrupt departure is certainly redemption for his underwhelming Fall Couture collection.  With Christian Dior’s Spring 2012 collection I can immediately imagine wearing the boat neck blouses, coats and dresses with sheer collared shirts over cropped pants for lunch with the ladies and then the sensuous gowns for an evening with someone significant. Returning to the roots of the fashion house, Gaytten and his team put on a display of dressed up women who are adamant about being feminine and forever stylish – a la what we’ve come to admire about seemingly effortlessly chic French woman.

Images via Fashionologie

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The Weekend . . .

As fashion week in Paris is in full swing, yet wrapping up a month full of sartorial dreams and long wish lists, I couldn’t help but choose the photo above.  Whether or not the model is dreaming about the wares that made their way down the runway, a hope for her future or simply day dreaming, there’s something about finding time to sit alone in a cafe.  While sipping your favorite caffeine concoction and enjoying possibly a delectable treat, the world seems to spin without you for a moment and allow for mind just be, just relax.

This weekend, I hope to find such time to be by myself, if only just to catch my breath and be grateful. I hope you too are able find some time to do this as well.  By being able to find these types of moments, just recognizing we have such an opportunity, makes our lives seem all the more rich and full.

Here is a look back on the past week on The Simply Luxurious Life:

*Why Stereotypes Should Be Let Go

*the most popular post of the week - Why Not . . . Be More Productive? Part Deux

*A Savory (or Sweet) Nibble for the evening

*Four Classic Pieces to Add to your Fall Wardrobe

*Balmain – Spring 2012

*Style Inspiration signature styles seem to be everywhere

*Where to Shop – Wardrobe Essentials on a Budget

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and thank you very much for stopping by the blog. Until Monday, bonjour.

{Receive additional simply luxurious ideas and inspiration by subscribing to the weekly newsletter. Click here to view a past issue and simply sign up by entering your first name and email address in the middle column to the right on the homepage of The Simply Luxurious Life blog. Each issue arrives promptly in your inbox early Friday morning or late Thursday evening depending on where you live.}

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Image: Vogue and Coffee

September 29, 2011

Savory or Sweet Popcorn

There’s just something nostalgic about a Friday evening with popcorn, a movie you’ve been dying to watch and someone you enjoy to watch it with. While it’s easy to buy popcorn and pop it in the microwave, by choosing to pop your own popcorn on the stove, the flavors you can create will be a wonderful treat that will feel quite decadent.

Depending upon your preferences, you can make popcorn for your sweet tooth or a savory batch that will satiate your craving for salty gourmet goodness. Here are a few recipes that I enjoy making.

Ingredients:

Parmesan & Truffle Butter Popcorn

*1/4 cup white truffle oil (alternatives – extra virgin olive oil or melted butter)

*1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

*salt

*1/3 cup white popcorn

or

Orange & Dark Chocolate Popcorn

*1 ounce dark chocolate (shave from the brick)

*zest of one orange

*1/3 cup white popcorn

Directions:

1. For both recipes, use a skillet that has a lid. Before placing the lid on, heat the skillet over medium heat, place about 1 tablespoon olive oil and ONE kernel. Wait until the kernel pops, then put 1/3 cup popcorn kernels into the skillet and cover.  Begin to move the pan back and forth across the stove top in a regular rhythm (this is a great workout for your biceps and abs – hold them tight).

2. When the popping begins, it will take about 1-2 minutes for each kernel to pop.  Remove from the skillet. For each recipe, add half of each of the ingredients to the popcorn while it is still in the skillet. Place the lid back and shake to toss the popcorn well. Then take off the lid and add the remaining ingredients. Place the lid back on and toss again. Each time, be sure to taste and add more or less of what you’d prefer.

Enjoy!

Image: Simply Luxurious

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Balmain – Spring 2012

The Paris spring 2012 shows have begun – the grand finale of a very full, fashionable month. With Balmain’s collection, Olivier Rousteing (who took the reins of the fashion house in February at the young age of 25) revealed his respect for the brand and his resounding ability to shine. With gold, white, baby blue embroidered designs and fabulously sculpted jackets, this collection will certainly quite the critics, at least until next season.

All images via New York magazine and Elle

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Style Inspiration

From Milan, Italy, and a few stylish ladies captured on the street in London during the recently passed fashion weeks, this week is full of everything from pants that shine to classic polka dot blouses that flatter. If nothing else each of the images are a reminder that fashion is what we choose to allow it to be. After all, creating our own signature style is the most important and enjoyable part.

{Receive additional simply luxurious ideas and inspiration by subscribing to the weekly newsletter. Click here to view a past issue and simply sign up by entering your first name and email address in the middle column to the right on the homepage of The Simply Luxurious Life blog. Each issue arrives promptly in your inbox early Friday morning or late Thursday evening depending on where you live.}

{Have a Twitter account and want inspiration throughout the day as well as being notified of the most recent posts on The Simply Luxurious Life? Follow me here @simplyluxurious. }

Images: (1) Trashion (2) Streetstyle Aesthetic (3) The best of street Style  (4) Stylish Inspiration  (5) Ann Taylor Fall 2011 (6) Southern Sophisticate (7) Source (8) Gather Love (9)  Heartbeatoz  (10) Heartbeatoz  (11) What do I Wear? (12)  Southern Sophisticate  (13) Milan Spring 2012 Fashion Week  (14)  Elle  (15) thecheekyelitist  (16)  Vogue and Coffee (17) Musings in femininity  (18) treasured  (19) momongamon  (20) tickettoparis  (21) Glamour  (22) Street Style (23) Aesthetic (24)  Street Style Aesthetic  (25) Grazia It  (26) Grazia It  (27) Grazia It  (28) Grazia It