The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired With Signature Style

Very often the phrase "It was meant to be" is uttered to explain why something worked out or didn't work out, depending upon the situation. However, in today's episode Shannon shares seven truths as to what actually plays a role in helping the life we wish to happen, the destiny we hope will materialize actually have a change at coming to fruition. Believe it or not, we play a bigger role than we may have first imagined. In this week's Petit Plaisir, Amy Morin's book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do is reviewed.

One of the eight pillars of a simply luxurious life is a healthy social circle, and in today's episode listeners will discover exactly who will and who won't contribute to a more quality, fulfilling and successful life. In today's Petit Plaisir, Shannon shares her secret to sleeping well from the pillow to the pillowcase. A simple change can make a big difference in the quality of your nights and days.

In Kate Bolick's recently released book (April 21, 2015), she dives into the possibilities of remaining single. While Bolick doesn't profess that being single is the best way to live for everyone, she does point out observations and biases of society that prompt the reader to pause and consider previously held assumptions about what the right path is for them.  In today's episode, three specific insights are shared which are inspired by Bolick's book as to how to go about living a life that is in alignment with your passions and innate leanings. Today's Petit Plaisir highlight's one of Shannon's favorite simple pleasures to be enjoyed regularly during the week to unwind and relax - L'Occitane's Lavender Foaming Bath.

The power of email correspondence is profound. However, the key is to understand that it is a tool to communicate, and it is up to the sender to effectively do so. In today's episode specific ideas and rules are shared to ensure you are able to clearly communicate and elicit the response you desire. In this week's Petit Plaisir, Shannon shared her latest tech find that is not only function and aesthetically pleasing, but a frugal find that will last as well. 

Eric Klinenberg shared in his best-selling book Going Solo that living alone is continuing to increase world-wide. In today's episode, listeners will discover 16 tips and ideas on how to make the most of this experience, whether temporary or permanent, so that it can be thoroughly enjoyable and memorable. In this week's Petit Plaisir, Peter Mayle's book Acquired Tastes is reviewed and recommended for ideal evening leisure reading.

Inspired by the style icons from the past (Coco Chanel, Jane Birkin, Bridgette Bardot, and Catherine Deneuve), as well as those effortlessly chic French women of the 21st century, this episode breaks down the 14 basic essentials to have in your capsule wardrobe to look chic, timeless and confident.  This week's Petit Plaisir, a French dessert, Dark Chocolate Mousse. So simple and satiating, you will be sure to impress your guests and your very own tastebuds as it can easily be made and appreciated during the work week as well. 

Each one of us encounters fears from time to time, the key is to understand how to navigate them as we continue toward our goals and stepping into our full potential. In today's episode, listeners will discover 11 specific ways to master fear in their everyday lives and livle more courageously.  In this week's Petit Plaisir, the recipe for an appetizer that is simple, scrumptious and ideal for mid-week or weekend entertaining: Pear, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Honey Bites. 

Our mobile devices can help our lives run more efficient, but if not used correctly, can have significant drawbacks. In today's episode 12 rules for mobile manners are shared as well as four ways to make sure you are the master of your cell phone or smart phone. And in this week's Petit Plaisir, Shannon reviews CBS' Madam Secretary, starring Tea Leoni.

As a new season begins, it is a reminder that by unburdening ourselves of the unnecessary (events and ideas of the past that are no longer aiding us in our quest for a better life), we are better equipped to successfully strive toward the future and everyday life we wish to live. In today's episode four specific tips will be shared to focus on what you value, get out of your own way and maintain your decided direction. And in this week's Petit Plaisir, the classic recipe Sole Meunière is shared for a simple, yet gourmet meal.

What is the lifestyle grocery list? Any item that requires  money in your budget, but doesn't occur regularly (i.e. weekly or monthly), minus food or clothes. This list includes a variety of arenas of our lives as keeping these items stocked allows for our lives to run more smoothly, our confidence to soar, a healthy balance between work and leisure to be struck, networking and relationships to remain strong and our knowledge of the world to regularly stimulated and informed.

Understanding the power of money and becoming the master of it is crucial to a life full of contentment. In today's podcast, the definition of true wealth will be shared along with both monetary and monetary ways to attain it. 

If you enjoy living simply, but also enjoy entertaining from time to time, a bar cart is a wonderful, efficient way to combine style and function without the fuss. In today's episode, specific styling tips are shared on how to style your bar cart for your lifestyle whether it be a morning display full of pastries and tea, an evening of wine or a fully stocked mixed drinks bar, tune in to see why you may just want to add one to your sanctuary.

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of needs are the catalyst for today's episode. Shannon will dive into the definition of Self-Actualization, remind us all that we can indeed achieve it and why we all should make the leap to attain it.

Have you ever wondered what is at the foundation of the difference between a woman and a girl? Well, most importantly, it is a choice and something each individual can become once they recognize it all begins with taking responsibility for themselves. The gift of choosing to become a woman is that it empowers each individual to cultivate the life of her dreams and live a life of fulfillment each and everyday.

Twenty ways inspired by the French to live truly simply luxuriously each and every day.

The good news is anyone can have charisma. It is not something you are born with. Inspired by Olivia Fox Cabane's 2013 book The Charisma Myth, in today's episode, 17 habits are shared with specific examples that will help listeners become charismatic and ultimately help them strengthen relationships and reach greater success in their professional lives as well.   

Inspired by Shawn Achor's best-selling book Before Happiness, today's episode focuses on how we can shift the reality in which we see our lives. From setting self-imposed barriers to opening our lives up to more success and happiness, how we see the world and our own lives is a tremendous determinate in our everyday contentment. 

One of the most fundamental components to living well is mastering our thoughts on any given day. Regardless of life's events, how we respond will determine the outcome. In today's podcast, Shannon shares 10 tools that if practiced regularly can become habits that will improve the quality of your life. 

The part of being a romantic I want to grab onto and dive deeper into is the idea of thinking outside the box, of not being limited by the boundaries that are instituted by society or even by our own experiences. And as such, I want us to gravitate to a higher, more historically accurate definition of the term romantic - the Romantic:  "a life philosophy that prizes the rejection of pure rationalism in favor of intuition, imagination, and emotion; the embrace of nonconformity and sincerity; a tendency towards nostalgia; and the celebration of curiosity, spontaneity, and wonder". In today's podcast, I will share 6 realities that will begin to occur in your life as you embrace the idea of becoming a Romantic.

With 2015 quickly approaching, perhaps you are contemplating a few resolutions to pursue. Today, I will share with you 15 (plus one more) ideas of what you might want to pursue in order to improve the overall quality of your life. From challenging yourself, to adding habits that reduce your stress, 2015 will indeed begin auspiciously if we set our minds to make it so.