Archive for year: 2014

Afternoon Tea Etiquette

April 1, 2014/2 Comments/in Elegant Living, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

I love having tea! It reminds me of the days gone by. I love getting together with some friends having tea and talking about anything. I think that learning tea etiquette is also a wonderful trait to add to being a lovely lady. I have a channel on Youtube and I enjoy watching some of the videos of some of the women that I follow. There is one in particular and her name is Trina Leavers. She lives in London and I just love her style!

She is so elegant and down to earth. I started following her a few months ago and I have learned so much from her. She is like a distant girlfriend that I chat online with. In one of her videos she talk about how to have afternoon tea (London style). She has this tea set called Royal Albert Old Country Roses. It is just stunning!

While at Macys I find the Royal Albert set and my goodness is it expensive! Just for one tea cup and saucer alone is $60! So what did I do, I went to Ebay. I found a cup and saucer set for $25! I was so excited. So now I am on a quest to complete my set. I will have to buy it piece by piece but oh well. Below is a photo of me with my cup and also is the video with Mrs. Trina in it. I have also attached a video of the proper way to have tea. The videos are so fun! I hope you enjoy them!

how to make a proper cup of tea – YouTube

English Cream Tea Etiquette – YouTube

Slips- An Elegant Essential

April 1, 2014/in Fashion Posts, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

I know that the sound of the word “slip” can make you cringe but I have found that slips can cover a multitude of sins. Slips may seem “Granny Annie” but they are absolutely great for looking and feeling polished in your clothes. I have had a few times when I have looked at myself in the mirror (at home) and could not see anything but then when I go to work it seems that the lights are set in “X-Ray” vision!

So as a precaution I wear slips. There are so many great options out there now. They have shaping slips and all the colors that are available are just great! The prices for slips aren’t bad either. I needed a nude color skirt slip and I was doing some shopping in Walmart and found one for only $8! Of course, there are higher end versions but if you don’t want to pay a lot then check out Walmart, Target and JC Penny just to name a few.

Below are some photos of a few examples. The black skirt slip is only $5 at Walmart and the gray dress slip is only $16.99 at Target. Also, there is a video below from the Daily Connoisseur about 3 Essential Slips. Enjoy!

Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash

sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEAQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4dKUDUfzSN8&ei=Jv46U7b2FqrFsATr8YGgCA&usg=AFQjCNEpHGBKIK6B8zbHaRQYFOsRlwR_Jg&sig2=2mPIWLmNgAGiqltkLPg-pA”>3 Essential Slips – YouTube

Hermes Scarves- An Elegant Essential

March 31, 2014/in Fashion Posts, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Hermes is one of those brands that is just timeless. It is very expensive but the quality far surpasses what you pay. Hermes products grow in value! If you are fortunate enough to “inherit” any items from a family member then lucky you!

I learned about Hermes from “The Martha Stewart Show” back in 2007 (I believe). I had never heard of it. The president of the company and the scarf specialist (what a great job to have) gave a fashion show of the scarves, shoes, and clothes. It was fantastic and I just loved the elegance of the scarves and the quality.

So of course I looked it up and my goodness! It is sooo expensive. But I thought there is always Ebay. Now it can be tricky shopping on Ebay because you never know if you are buying authentic. But I really wanted a scarf so I took my chances and purchased the one below last year. It was really gross when I got it! It is really old (I think from the 90’s) but I just loved it. I didn’t pay much for it because no one else bid on it. The prior owner was an older woman from Florida and she told me that it was authentic and that she had purchased it herself a number of years ago.

My Hermes box

My Hermes scarf

I purchased the Hermes box from Poshmark for just $20 and the scarf I paid almost $60. My scarf is called the Hermes Paris Scarf Les Tambours. It only cost $5 to have it drycleaned. One of the attorneys I work for she has a few that she purchased at the Hermes store in New York. After I purchased it and had it cleaned I took it to her for a review. She had hers and we compared and since it is so old she was convinced that I got a real scarf for an awesome deal! She also made me an offer on it which I graciously turned down. I love my scarf and I am so excited to have it. I wear it to work and even grocery shopping on the weekends. I will be purchasing more in the future to expand my collection. I also look forward to passing them down to my daughter. They are considered great heirlooms from mothers and grandmothers. So check out Hermes.com or Ebay to see if you can find one to tickle your fancy! Also, if you wish to see the fashion show here it is. Enjoy!

(all photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Looking Presentable at Home

March 31, 2014/in Elegant Living, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Looking presentable at home has been a task for me. As soon as I come home my second job begins. Being a wife and mother is a lot of work and sometimes when you get off you don’t want to look “polished”. Well one day when I came home I looked at myself and noticed that my hair was not in order and I just wanted to get out of my clothes. But then I realized that I put a lot of effort into looking nice at work. Why not look nice at home to?

If the people on the outside world see my best then so should my husband and daughter. So now when I come home I comb my hair, spray on some more perfume and put on my apron. I am starting to love aprons. They keep my clothes nice and they can hold your cell phone and lip gloss. They are pretty inexpensive. I paid only $12 for it. I watched a video called “Looking Presentable As a Busy Mom” by the Daily Connoisseur. It is a great video and has helped me to continue on my quest for looking chic at home. So take a look at the video and let it inspire you!

the Daily Connoisseur – YouTube

(photo via Mrs. Shockley)

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Elegant Home Scents

March 28, 2014/in Home Décor, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Everyone is familiar with Bath and Body Works. I have been a fan since high school. A lot of my favorite scents are gone and that’s okay. I have found that my choice of fragrances isn’t the same as it was 15 years ago. But what I do like are their fragrance bulbs. They have also changed the bulb warmers. They are much more decorative and what my daughter would call “fancy”.

My favorite scent this year has been “Spring”. I absolutely love it. It’s a light floral scent and it’s so feminine and the prices are so affordable. I purchased 6 bulbs for $24 and the decorative warmers start at $6. So for about $60 you can have a great scent in your home with decorative “art” plugged in your wall. It’s so nice to walk in a woman’s home and smell something feminine. I know I love smelling them when I walk in from a long work day. So check out your local Bath and Body Works for your signature home scent!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Perfume- A Review

March 27, 2014/in Beauty & Health, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

I found this perfume last week on my mall trip. I was in Sephora just looking around with my daughter and stumbled on this line called Fresh. I had never heard of it before and decided to just spray a few bottles. Oh my! This scent is just spectacular! It smells so fresh and feminine! I just had to have it! The bottle is pretty small but it was worth the price. I spent $48 on it and I don’t regret it. If you want something that is different and citrus try Fresh Hersperides Grapefruit it is a wonderful scent. Just elegant….

Philosophy Facial Care- A Review

March 27, 2014/in Beauty & Health, Uncategorized /by mrs.sshockley

Here is another great product from Philosophy and Clarisonic. After I purchased my body care from Philosophy and my friend (after doing) another “unboxing” for me; I went ahead and tried the Purity facial cleanser. I used it for about a month and saw drastic changes in my skin. I looked fresh and it felt clean! My color changed and it looked smoother. I just love it! So I also purchased the moisturizers and they are fantastic. The Hope in a Jar night and day cream were just what I needed. The coverage is great and my face doesn’t feel dry and it is smooth.

My Clarisonic is just heaven sent!! My face has just improved. It is the best!!! It was really expensive I paid $150 for it but it was worth every penny! I use the Purity cleanser with my Clarisonic twice a day and I really enjoy it. If you can’t afford the Clarisonic then try the Spa Sonic. I heard that it is a good product for the money. Below is a link to a YouTube video from the Daily Connoisseur. She does an excellent review on both.

My products at home

Spa Sonic vs Clarisonic – YouTube

(photo via Mrs. Shockley)