It snowed this morning in New York as you can see from the photo from Manhattan Bird Alert above. It looks pretty but makes taking walks and dining outside very difficult at the moment. I was very gung-ho to start this New Year but I already feel a bit uninspired and unmotivated. I found last winter to be the most difficult time of the pandemic so I’m hoping I can figure out ways to keep myself more on track this year. Here are some things to do, watch, and try to help get you through the next few weeks.

I went to The Morgan Library last week with a friends and we were excited to see the exhibition, Bound for Versailles: The Jayne Wrightsman Bookbindings Collection. It highlights the exceptional collection of books bound for the highest echelons of 18th-century French society that Jayne Wrightsman bequeathed to the Morgan in 2019. There are some lovely never before seen photos of the books in her apartment that were a nice surprise too.

I went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Christmas Eve and it was much more crowded than I had expected so I didn’t get to see Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts so I have to go back. The exhibition examines “Disney’s personal fascination with European art and the use of French motifs in his films and theme parks, drawing new parallels between the studios’ magical creations and their artistic models.”

I am embarrassed to say that I have never visited The Jewish Museum but I definitely plan to stop by to see The Hare with the Amber Eyes exhibition soon. It tells the story of the Ephrussi family, celebrated in the bestselling memoir of the same name by Edmund de Waal. “The exhibition will bring together pieces from the Ephrussi’s collections to examine the ways in which objects can function as storytellers, symbols of resilience, and monuments of a family legacy, including artworks by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Gustave Moreau, and Auguste Renoir, among others; decorative objects; and family photos and ephemera from their lives across four continents.”

I posted that this Julia documentary is available to rent on Amazon Prime in my Instagram Stories but I wanted to also post it here in case anyone missed it. If you love Julia Child and cooking, you will love this in depth look at her life and career. I also watched The Tender Bar which was a sweet but not groundbreaking movie.

It won’t be released until Friday, January 14th but I can’t wait to see Delicious. The French film tells the story of a chef who has been fired by his master finds the strength to free himself from his position as a servant and opens the first restaurant in 18th-century France. The trailer will leave you salivating.

Did you watch season two of Emily in Paris yet? I binged it as soon as it was released and enjoyed the frothy and fun escapades in the City of Light. The show has its critics but its the perfect escapist show we need during a pandemic. I definitely look forward to season three.

I’ll be in Paris in the spring so I made a Chic in Paris playlist on Spotify to help refresh my French.

Mark your calendars for The Gilded Age which will debut on HBO on January 24th.”The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Against the backdrop of this transformation, HBO’s The Gilded Age begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) moving from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father to live with her thoroughly old money aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon).” I saw them filming in Central Park last summer and can’t wait to see the finished series soon.

Every time I think about putting away my Wedgwood collection, I just can’t bring myself to do it since it’s filled with so much history. I look forward to learning more about the iconic pottery in the new book, The Radical Potter: The Life and Times of Josiah Wedgwood. It would make a great gift for anyone who collects Wedgwood.

The New Year calls for new habits which can be found in these two books. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones was published in 2018 but it’s seeing a resurgence on Instagram with those looking to better themselves. How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be was just published last year and is for those who have been feeling stuck.

This Another Tomorrow Recycled Cashmere Blanket arrived today as a gift and could not be more lovely. It’s a bit darker in person but would make a great belated Christmas gift or hostess gift for someone special.

I’ve been dealing with knee pain since last year and this Lord Jones High CBD Formula Heavy Duty Chill Balm has been a game changer. It has 200mg of CBD so I just ordered the Lord Jones Royal Oil that contains 1000mg CBD to see if might be even better for pain relief. I will report back.

Bon weekend!

XOXO,

HC