Fresh Starts and Timeless Elegance

January 1st | Mont Tremblant, Canada

January always feels like the soft turning of a page, the whisper of a fresh beginning. There is something about the hush of winter mornings when the sun is too lazy to wake up, the crisp air that calls for cashmere and slippers, and the search for clarity that comes with a new year. In these quiet moments, I find myself drawn to the idea of renewal—not in the way of resolutions hastily made or endless to-do lists that provoke anxiety but in the gentle refinement of what already exists. A well-loved home, a well-curated wardrobe, a life built on layers of thoughtful choices rather than fleeting trends.

Fresh starts, after all, need not be drastic. They can be as simple as a new hellebore planted in a terracotta clay pot, the rearrangement of crisp linens throughout the house, or the addition of a fresh floral scent to the entryway. These small acts of renewal breathe life into my surroundings and remind me that elegance is not something acquired overnight but cultivated with care, much like a garden nurtured through the seasons, where you carefully and continually remove the weeds and nurture the plants you would like to see grow.

This January, I have been returning to the classics—to the timeless pieces in my home that remind me of the beauty of longevity. A stack of monogrammed linen napkins, their edges perfectly pressed. A set of blue and white Cozinha Velha porcelain dinnerware and the many memories they have witnessed. A collection of beloved books, spines worn from years of turning pages. These are the elements that ground me, the ones that whisper of history, of stories told and still unfolding.

Timeless elegance, I have come to realize, is not about perfection but about intention. It is about surrounding oneself with beauty that endures—quality over quantity, meaning over momentary excitement. It is the porcelain teacup that has been in the family for generations, the cashmere sweater that only grows softer with time, the rituals that make an ordinary day feel exquisite.

As I step into this new year, my wish is to embrace this quiet refinement, to find beauty in the small, deliberate choices that shape my days. Perhaps that means dedicating a few moments each afternoon to setting a lovely tea time, even if it’s just my Earl Grey in a pretty mug for myself. Or writing notes for a friend on fine engraved stationery rather than sending another hurried email. Maybe it’s as simple as lighting a candle in the evening, letting its scent envelop the room to decompress from the day.

These are the things that make a house a home, a life a little more lovely. Fresh starts, yes—but never at the expense of the timeless, the treasured, and the true.

3 Things I’m Grateful for Today:

1. The crisp scent of winter air through an open window.

2. The reassuring weight of a well-loved book in hand—perhaps picking up The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford again.

3. The ritual of my morning Earl Grey tea in a porcelain cup.

Daily Reminders:

• Press the linens today; beauty is in the details.

• Write a letter to an old friend; elegance is in the thoughtful gestures.

• Take a moment to appreciate the quiet joys of home; after all, it’s where life happens most beautifully.

May this year bring us moments of beauty, thoughtful refinements, and the quiet assurance that true elegance is never rushed but always deeply felt.