Another beautiful spring week has come and gone and if you are in the United States, you may be ready for a nice long weekend ahead as this will be Memorial Day Weekend. Known as the unofficial start of summer, we plan to enjoy a relaxing weekend here in town as the temperatures will be in the mid-80’s with no rain. So far, we plan to enjoy a picnic in one of the local parks nearby and I’m sure I will be reading away as my summer reading list has been coming together quite nicely so far.
As we begin to enter the summer months here in the northern hemisphere, we begin to ease into wearing lighter clothing, enjoying the longer days of sunlight and we start to look forward to all that summer has on offer for the next three months.
To start the long weekend off, here are some new books, articles, shopping ideas and more to peruse.
Books, Media, Shopping, Etc.
As mentioned above, we are planning a picnic at one of our favorite local parks here in Raleigh. A spring picnic is such a fun and relaxing way to enjoy the warmer days. I had an old picnic basket for years (since 2004) and before we moved I had to dispose of it because it was falling apart. It was a cheaper basket that I got from a Family Dollar way back when I was in college. To have lasted 20 years, I am not disappointed in my initial $15 investment, but now it was time to buy a new one. Luckily Hearth & Home released this picnic basket this year as part of their spring collection at Target. I recently purchased the basket and loved how big it was as well as the pretty lining that can be removed to be cleaned which I found to be a great bonus.
While also looking at Target online I saw these beautiful green floral napkins. I love a beautifully set table and the attention to details such as the tablecloths, napkins, etc. and these will make for a beautiful summer table setting. I haven’t seen them in store, so they may have to be ordered online only, but for how beautiful they are and at a price point of $12, I think they are well worth purchasing online.
Memorial weekend for most of us means it’s time to start bringing out the summer wardrobe as well as the swimsuits. While in the process of moving I did dispose of some of my older swimsuits that I had for years due to wear and tear, and I have been looking to replace one or two of them. I found this elegant looking Navy Stripe Center Ring swimsuit at Tommy Hilfiger that I am going to purchase to add to my collection.
Some of my kitchen towels are needing to be replaced soon and these William Sonoma Summer Multi Pack of towels caught my attention as they very much remind me of French kitchen towels.
I also saw on Williams Sonoma that they had an entire line released recently for the new Bridgerton series premier. They had so many things such teacups, kettles, chocolates, cookies, linens, books and more. Click here to explore the entire lovely collection.
I recently stumbled upon a Francophile book that was released last August, The Paris Cooking School and it looks like a sweet novel of second chances set in the beautiful city of Paris in springtime. Described as a delicious novel about love, hope, and the consolations of the perfect strawberry tart, I will be sure to add this one to my TBR (to-be-read) list.
Also found while looking through the new releases at Barnes & Noble this weekend was Wives Like Us by Plum Sykes. I haven’t seen a book release from Plum Sykes since 2017, she is the author of books like Bergdorf Blondes and The Debutante Divorcee. This new release is described as, “Take a grand English country house, one (heartbroken) American divorcee, three rich wives, two tycoons, a pair of miniature sausage dogs and one (bereaved) butler; put them all into the blender and out comes the impossibly funny Wives Like Us, the new novel from the best-selling author of Bergdorf Blondes and Party Girls Die In Pearls, Plum Sykes”. Honestly though, they had me at English country house.
And speaking of all things British, another book that was just released this past week was London: Through a Fashion Eye by Megan Hess. You may already be familiar with her other works such as Paris and New York Through a Fashion Eye as well as her works on Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel and Grace Kelly. I was able to look through this beautiful book while at Barnes & Noble as well and it was full of beautiful illustrations as one comes to expect from Megan Hess, but it also had many tips, places, shopping and things to do while visiting the beautiful city of London. A great book to add to the collection for the Anglophiles.
And one more book to round out this week’s curated, I found this one from a lady that I follow on Instagram. Released just this past week, A Northern Light in Provence is described as a woman leaves her coastal Greenland village to translate the works of a renowned Provençal poet and finds her life irrevocably changed, in this tender and romantic novel set in a French village. Always one for a Francophile book, this one will be sure to be read this season.
I recently picked up a pair of pajamas from Target this past week as well when I got the picnic basket. This pair caught my eye because of the pretty light blue color and subtle stripes. It was also a soft, thin material that will work nicely for the spring and summer months. You do have to buy the shorts and/or pants and top separately, so you can get the shorts here, the top here, and the pants here.
A lovely video on Apartment Therapy’s YouTube channel of a Parisian Style Railroad Apartment in Brooklyn, NY was an inspiring watch. A small apartment at only 560 sq. ft., the beautiful details that Brigette incorporated into her rental was nothing short of Parisian Chic.
A new movie being released on Amazon Prime, You’re Cordially Invited starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrill looks to be a cute and funny upcoming movie. This comedy follows a woman who is planning her sister’s wedding and a father of another bride-to-be who discover that their destination for their respective weddings has been double booked, so both parties decide to share the venues, but chaos and disasters await. The setting of the movie looks so beautiful, and I am looking forward to seeing more, however be aware that it is Rated R and from the looks of the trailer below probably due to the excessive crass language. This movie is slated be released January of 2025, so I will keep this on my list to watch when available.
I have my hotel booked and tickets purchased for Biltmore Estate and the Chihuly Exhibit for next month. I will be staying at The Village Hotel on the Biltmore property, and I am also excited to visit the beautiful gardens of Biltmore as well. There is so much sophistication around every corner and I cannot wait to visit and share more with you here on the blog. But you can take a peek below at the beautiful estate as well from their YouTube channel.
Articles
Planning a picnic can be fun, but there are many things to take into consideration and obviously biggest one is the food. While simple sandwiches will always be a simple pick, I have been looking into other options and found a great article on The Perfect Picnic from Nicolas Fairford’s blog. Nicolas also has a very elegant YouTube channel is you would like to discover more from him, I myself am subscribed to the channel for all things British elegance.
Looking to read more about Paris, but not sure where to start? Read this article over on NY Times, How To Read your Way Through Paris -In this article Leïla Slimani, winner of France’s Goncourt Prize, describes her Paris and recommends books that reveal hidden facets of the city.
This beautiful home tour on The English Home Magazine has all the inspiration for a cozy English country house. Finding a charming 18th-century home listed, a former merchant’s house close to where he grew up in West Sussex was worth the wait for Simon Laver, his wife Caroline and their three young daughters. Go check it out for all of the beautiful decor.
While I myself may not be summering in The Hamptons, I still liked this article, Stylist-Approved Summer Outfits for Your Next Hamptons Getaway. The wardrobe selected has many refined pieces for an elegant summer season and a quiet luxury feel that I tend to wear myself. While many of these things are at a price point that I would not pay, I can glean inspiration for like-pieces that I can purchase on a more budget friendly price point.
An article over on Town & Country interviews the new actress, Hannah Dodd on the newest season of Bridgerton. The breakout star of Bridgerton season three opens up about finding Francesca’s inner confidence, bonding with her on-screen siblings, and how she got over the “worst” imposter syndrome she’s ever experienced.
If you’ve ever wondered if you should be Measuring Exercise By Time Or Steps then this article at Forbes will help shed some light for you and the good news is a new study shows that both are effective.
If you’re a fan of the cozy cottage like I am, then you’ll enjoy this article from Country Living Magazine that lists everything from weathered antiques to happily patterned rooms and how cottagecore interiors are about embracing timeworn charm and personal style.
It’s hard to believe summer is already upon us, but as the days get warmer and sun sets later, you can surely feel it. I have been taking advantage by taking after-work swims while the sun is setting. I have found this to be most relaxing and also a great way to move my body after sitting for so long. And as you can see from above, I am in the midst of shopping for summer items and so far, I have curated a good wardrobe by adding a few dresses and a swimsuit for the season. Also mentioned above is that my summer reading list is also coming together. I also have a trip to Asheville planned for June, and hopefully many picnics will be planned during this season as well. The changing of the seasons gives me so much inspiration and I always want to take advantage of them by planning nice things to do. Whether travel, reading, events or a lovely seasonal wardrobe, the details of life is what elevates everyday living to an art form, and that is what I always hope to bring you here on Curated Weekly.
Comment below if you would like on what you are planning for the upcoming season (whether summer or winter), I would love to hear from you!
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