This & That: No. 34

It’s beginning to look like the holiday season . . . a new holiday music album to add to your collection, the brand new store created by Williams-Sonoma and a jewelry designer to say hello to if you’re shopping for that perfect gift. But don’t worry, I’ve discovered a few things to keep you stylish, organized and informed as well . . .

~Blog Post

~Becoming French 101: How to Live and Work in France

The dream of living in France some day can seem at times a bit lofty, but with an insider’s help, such a dream can one day be your reality.  Paige Bradley Frost explains four different ways each one of us can potentially one day live in France if we choose. Whether you are a student, work for company that may transfer you or wish to seek a job on your home, she explains the bureaucracy you should expect to deal with in order to make it your reality.

~Idea to Try

~Unroll.me

As someone who sends out a weekly newsletter to subscribers, I understand both the receiving and generating aspects of subscribing to newsletters, emails and brand updates. No one enjoys or wishes to have a cluttered inbox, but it seems to happen even when we for a moment thought we had everything under control.

While every subscription has the option of unsubscribing, it can often be a multi-click process that takes more time than simply deleting it each time they arrive. Well, I have a solution. Unroll.me is a new free service from Google to swiftly eliminate any unwanted emails or subscriptions. Each day, unroll.me will email you with a list of your inbox emails. You simply click delete or continue to subscribe to the list and it takes care of the long process of unsubscribing should that be your choice. While it currently is only available to those with Gmail or Google email accounts, they will be expanding, so stay tuned.

~Music

~Lady Antebellum “On This Winter’s Night” (Oct. 2012)

On Friday, it will officially be acceptable to play your holiday Christmas music, and as my personal tradition, I try to seek out at least one new album to add to my list. Previous additions have included: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Michael Buble’s Christmas, Pink Martini’s ‘Joy to the World’, and Christmas with the Rat Pack. This year Lady Antebellum has released its first Christmas album “On This Winter’s Night”. Full of their signature pipes crooning classic, festive Christmas music, you will want to add this to your collection is you are a fan of the band.  My favorite is their classic rendition of “This Christmas”.

~Shopping

~J.Crew Cafe Capri in wool (multiple colors)

I know this is the time of year we should be focused on shopping for others, but we still have to look chic and pulled together for all of the events our holiday calendar presents. So, with cropped pants being the trend this season that works so well on so many different body types, be sure to stop by J.Crew as their cafe capri pants in wool are drastically reduced with many color and size options still available (petites and tall sizes as well). Regularly priced at $138, now reduced to $98 (and some colors are reduced even further).

~Julie Collection

Whether you are shopping for that perfect accessory to finish your holiday attire or have a friend or loved one who adores her jewelry, you will want to visit Julie Vos’ jewelry and accessories collection. Featured in Vogue, RealSimple, Lonny, O Magazine, Marie Claire, Good HouseKeeping and other top magazines, her jewelry (bracelets, cuffs, earrings, necklaces, scarves and more) are luxurious and certain to impress. Always looking for a long link necklace, Julie Vos’ Collette Link Necklace is less expensive than Trina Turk’s and just as lovely.

~Mark and Graham

When it comes to monogramming anything from linens, kitchenware, holiday decor, jewelry, leather goods or anything else you can think of, be sure to stop by Williams-Sonoma’s new online store Mark and Graham. Full of quality products to impress those hardest to shop for on your Christmas list, Mark and Graham may just have exactly what you’re looking for. And if you’re looking for new stockings, check out these quilted white monogrammed ones. Classic and cozy.

~Coming Soon: The Simply Luxurious holiday gift guide.~